Dr. Daniel Schoenberg of The Ohio State University became interested in ribonucleic acid (RNA) as a consequence of studying how estrogen alters the expression of genes in the female reproductive tract. RNA is a multifunctional molecule that is common to all life forms and involved in virtually every step of gene expression. In the course of this work, Dr. Schoenberg identified an enzyme that degrades specific RNA molecules, which his lab named PMR1. His lab found that estrogen activates PMR1, and activated PMR1 stimulates the movement of cultured breast cancer cells. They also found that patients with elevated PMR1 have an increased risk of dying from breast cancer. Because changes in motility are a necessary step for cells to form metastasis, the lab is now studying how PMR1 controls cell movement through the degradation of specific RNAs. His hope is to determine whether drugs that inhibit PMR1 can prevent the formation of metastasis, and in doing so, reduce deaths from breast cancer.

Dr. Schoenberg’s interest in RNA and cancer extends to understanding how cancers form in the first place, and his lab is collaborating with Dr. Kay Huebner, a leading cancer biologist in the Ohio State Comprehensive Cancer Center, in a study that seeks to understand how loss of a gene that Dr. Huebner discovered almost 20 years ago leads to cancer. Together, members of the Schoenberg and Huebner labs found evidence for this gene working indirectly to affect cancer by changing levels of small RNA molecules that can interfere with the synthesis of specific proteins.

His passion for RNA science led Dr. Schoenberg to nurture and develop what is now one of the largest RNA research communities in the world. As the director of the Ohio State Center for RNA Biology, Dr. Schoenberg has the rare opportunity to interact with colleagues across a variety of disciplines, ranging from physics to clinical medicine. In his role as center director, Dr. Schoenberg developed and implemented a highly competitive graduate fellowship program, a nationally renowned seminar program, a seed grant program and a summer research experience in RNA biology for underrepresented minority students.

He takes his role as director and mentor with the utmost responsibility. “I want people to know I care about everyone and want them to succeed by giving them the tools to do so.” By encouraging both independent thinking and teamwork to develop and share ideas, Dr. Schoenberg continues to build the study of RNA by educating and inspiring future scientists to question the world around them. The same type of questioning has led him to the fascinating discoveries that are paving the way for RNA research. Dr. Schoenberg’s belief that RNA lies at the core of biology and medicine continues to focus his interest and research.

Current research includes:

• Breast Cancer: Dr. Schoenberg’s research has illuminated PMR1’s role in some cases of breast cancer. His research suggests that elevated PMR1 is associated with reduced survival, and this may result from elevated PMR1 stimulating the ability of breast cancer cells to move and invade surrounding tissue.

• Cytoplasmic Capping: Dr. Schoenberg’s study of mRNA has led him to hypothesize that the scope of proteins expressed in different cells and tissues is more complex than can be inferred from gene expression alone. His lab discovered a method by which mRNAs are modified after they are made that may play a role in processes as diverse as learning and memory, the formation of plaques associated with Alzheimer’s disease and the ability of heart cells to recover after a heart attack.

• ‘Fragile’ Genes and Cancer: Dr. Kay Huebner at Ohio State discovered one of the genes that is inactivated in many cancers, and Dr. Schoenberg is collaborating with Dr. Huebner to determine if this is due to changes in mRNA metabolism.