Brian J. Engel, PhD
Department of Cancer Systems Imaging, Division of Diagnostic Imaging
Present Title & Affiliation
Primary Appointment
Instructor, Department of Cancer Systems Imaging, Division of Diagnostic Imaging, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Research Interests
Directed evolution of peptide ligands for targeting tumor-associated post-translational modifications, autophagy, and cell death for use as PET imaging agents or as therapeutics.
Education & Training
Degree-Granting Education
| 2015 | Rice University, Houston, TX, USA, PHD, Biochemistry and Cell Biology |
| 2007 | The University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA, BS, Biochemistry |
Postgraduate Training
| 2016-2021 | Research Fellowship, Directed Evolution of Molecular Imaging Peptides, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX |
Honors & Awards
| 2019 | Office of Postdoctoral Affairs and Development Travel Award, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center |
| 2019 | Research Service Excellence Award, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center |
| 2015 | 2nd Place Outstanding Oral Presentation, 2015 BioSciences at Rice Research Symposium |
| 2015 | Department of BioSciences Travel Grant, Rice University |
| 2014 | 1st Place Outstanding Research Poster, 2014 BioSciences at Rice Research Symposium |
| 2014 | Outstanding Graduate Seminar Presentations, Department of BioSciences, Rice University |
| 2013 | Institute of Biosciences and Bioengineering Travel Grant, Rice University |
Selected Publications
Peer-Reviewed Articles
- Gray JP, Uddin MdN, Chaudhari R, Sutton MN, Yang H, Rask P, Locke H, Engel BJ, Batistatou N, Wang J, Grindel BJ, Bhattacharya P, Gammon ST, Zhang S, Piwnica-Worms D, Kritzer JA, Lu Z, Bast RC Jr, Millward SW. Directed evolution of cyclic peptides for inhibition of autophagy. Chemical Science 12(10):3526-3543, 2021. PMID: 34163626.
- Gammon ST, Engel BJ, Gores GJ, Cressman E, Piwnica-Worms D, Millward SW. Mistiming Death: Modeling the Time-Domain Variability of Tumor Apoptosis and Implications for Molecular Imaging of Cell Death. Mol Imaging Biol 22(5):1310-1323, 2020. PMID: 32519246.
- Grindel BJ, Engel BJ, Hall CG, Kelderhouse LE, Lucci A, Zacharias NM, Takahashi TT, Millward SW. Mammalian Expression and In Situ Biotinylation of Extracellular Protein Targets for Directed Evolution. ACS Omega 5(39):25440-25455, 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 33043224.
- Kamalinia G, Engel BJ, Srinivasamani A, Grindel BJ, Ong JN, Curran MA, Takahashi TT, Millward SW, Roberts RW. mRNA Display Discovery of a Novel Programmed Death Ligand 1 (PD-L1) Binding Peptide (a Peptide Ligand for PD-L1). ACS Chem Biol 15(6):1630-1641, 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 32352272.
- Engel BJ, Grindel BJ, Gray JP, Millward SW. Purification of poly-dA oligonucleotides and mRNA-protein fusions with dT25-OAS resin. Bioorg Med Chem Lett 30(4):126934, 2020. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 31919017.
- Engel BJ, Gammon ST, Chaudhari R, Lu Z, Pisaneschi F, Yang H, Ornelas A, Yan V, Kelderhouse L, Najjar AM, Tong WP, Zhang S, Piwnica-Worms D, Bast RC, Millward SW. Caspase-3 Substrates for Noninvasive Pharmacodynamic Imaging of Apoptosis by PET/CT. Bioconjug Chem 29(9):3180-3195, 2018. e-Pub 2018. PMID: 30168713.
- Pisaneschi F, Kelderhouse LE, Hardy A, Engel BJ, Mukhopadhyay U, Gonzalez-Lepera C, Gray JP, Ornelas A, Takahashi TT, Roberts RW, Fiacco SV, Piwnica-Worms D, Millward SW. Automated, Resin-Based Method to Enhance the Specific Activity of Fluorine-18 Clicked PET Radiotracers. Bioconjug Chem 28(2):583-589, 2017. e-Pub 2017. PMID: 28150941.
- Ornelas A, McCullough CR, Lu Z, Zacharias NM, Kelderhouse LE, Gray J, Yang H, Engel BJ, Wang Y, Mao W, Sutton MN, Bhattacharya PK, Bast RC, Millward SW. Induction of autophagy by ARHI (DIRAS3) alters fundamental metabolic pathways in ovarian cancer models. BMC Cancer 16(1):824, 2016. e-Pub 2016. PMID: 27784287.
- Engel BJ, Bowser JL, Broaddus RR, Carson DD. MUC1 stimulates EGFR expression and function in endometrial cancer. Oncotarget 7(22):32796-809, 2016. PMID: 27092881.
- Engel BJ, Constantinou PE, Sablatura LK, Doty NJ, Carson DD, Farach-Carson MC, Harrington DA, Zarembinski TI. Multilayered, Hyaluronic Acid-Based Hydrogel Formulations Suitable for Automated 3D High Throughput Drug Screening of Cancer-Stromal Cell Cocultures. Adv Healthc Mater 4(11):1664-74, 2015. e-Pub 2015. PMID: 26059746.
- Silva AL, Fuhrich DG, Carson DD, Engel BJ, Savaris RF. MUC1 expression in fallopian tubes of women with hydrosalpinx. Eur J Obstet Gynecol Reprod Biol 180:106-10, 2014. e-Pub 2014. PMID: 25062510.
- Neto EP, Fuhrich DG, Carson DD, Engel BJ, Savaris RF. Elafin expression in mucosa of fallopian tubes is altered by hydrosalpinx. Reprod Sci 21(3):401-7, 2014. e-Pub 2013. PMID: 23885101.
- Dharmaraj N, Engel BJ, Carson DD. Activated EGFR stimulates MUC1 expression in human uterine and pancreatic cancer cell lines. J Cell Biochem 114(10):2314-22, 2013. PMID: 23686469.
- Gosse JL, Engel BJ, Hui JC, Harwood CS, Flickinger MC. Progress toward a biomimetic leaf: 4,000 h of hydrogen production by coating-stabilized nongrowing photosynthetic Rhodopseudomonas palustris. Biotechnol Prog 26(4):907-18, 2010. PMID: 20730752.
Abstracts
- Paolillo V, Engel BJ, Radaram B, Qureshy S, Li L, Maity T, Norton W, Wang L, Wood CG, Piwnica-Worms D, Zacharias-Millward N, Pisaneschi F. Glutamine Imaging for the Detection of Renal Cell Carcinoma Lung Metastases. 2020 World Molecular Imaging Congress, 2020.
- Engel BJ, Grindel BG, Gray JP, Uddin MD, Piwnica-Worms D, Millward SW. mRNA display peptides with high affinity for tumor glycosylated MUC1 protein. Gordon Research Conference - Chemistry and Biology of Peptides, 2020.
- Pisaneschi F, Engel BJ, Gammon ST, Chaudhari R, Lu Z, Yang H, Ornelas A, Yan V, Uddin MN, Kelderhouse L, Najjar AM, Tong WP, Zhang S, Piwnica-Worms D, Bast RC Jr, Millward SW. Imaging of apoptosis by PET/CT: a new F18-labeled Caspase-3 substrate. European Society for Molecular Imaging, 2019.
- Engel BJ, Ornelas A, Lu Z, Pisaneschi F, Chaudhari R, Gammon ST, Yang H, Yan V, Kelderhouse L, Najjar AM, Tong WP, Piwnica-Worms D, Zhang S, Bast RC, Millward SW. Radiolabeled caspase-3 substrates for non-invasive imaging of apoptosis by PET/CT. Third AACR-SNMMI Joint Conference, 2018.
- Engel BJ, Constantinou PE, Sablatura LK, Doty NJ, Carson DD, Farach-Carson MC, Harrington DA, Zarembinski TI. A Multi-Layered, Hyaluronic Acid-Based Hydrogel System for Automated 3D High Throughput Drug Screening of Cancer-Stromal Cell Co-Cultures. 2015 CPRIT Innovations in Cancer Prevention and Research Conference, 2015.
- Constantinou PE, Engel BJ, Sablatura LK, Doty NJ, Carson DD, Farach-Carson MC, Harrington DA, Zarembinski TI. A Multi-Layered, Hyaluronic Acid-Based Hydrogel System for Automated 3D High Throughput Drug Screening of Cancer-Stromal Cell Co-Cultures. World Preclinical Congress: Tackling Translational Challenges, 2015.
Book Chapters
- Zarembinski TI, Engel BJ, Doty NJ, Constantinou PE, Onorato MV, Erickson IE, Fong ELS, Martinez M, Milton RL, Danysh BP, Delk NA, Harrington DA, Farach-Carson MC, Carson DD. HyStem®, a Customisable Hyaluronan-Based Hydrogel Matrix for 3D Cell Culture. In: Technology Platforms for 3D Cell Culture: A Users Guide. 1. Wiley-Blackwell: Chichester, West Sussex, UK, Part II: Hydrogels Chapter 8, 174 - 196, 2017.
Grant & Contract Support
| Title: | Directed Evolution of COVID19 Viral Entry Inhibitors |
| Funding Source: | NIH/NCI |
| Role: | Co-Investigator |
| Title: | SUPR Peptides for Tumor Glycosylated MUC1 Imaging |
| Funding Source: | NIH/NCI |
| Role: | Principal Investigator |