Caius Radu

Caius Radu, M.D., is a full Professor in the Departments of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology and Surgery at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA). He also serves as Vice-Chairman of the Department of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology and as Co-Director of the Cancer Molecular Imaging, Nanotechnology, and Theranostics Research Program (CMINT) within the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center.

Education:

• M.D., University of Medicine, Craiova, Romania
• Postdoctoral training in immunology and cancer biology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center (Dallas)
• Postdoctoral training at UCLA under the mentorship of Dr. Owen Witte

Research Interests: Dr. Radu's laboratory investigates the intersection of metabolic signaling, nucleotide metabolism, and immune networks in cancer, with a translational focus on molecular imaging and theranostic applications. Key efforts include elucidating novel mechanisms regulating nucleotide metabolism in pancreatic and prostate cancers, identifying actionable co-dependencies, and developing non-invasive imaging probes that predict therapeutic response. The group integrates rigorous pre-clinical mouse models with cutting-edge PET imaging to accelerate bench-to-bedside translation.

Current projects revolve around STING pathway activation, PSMA-targeted radioligand therapy, CD73 adenosine blockade, mutant KRAS inhibition, and mRNA cancer vaccines. These multi-pronged strategies aim to overcome tumor immune evasion, enhance cytotoxic therapies, and personalize treatment selection.

Recent Publication Trends: From 2020-2025, the Radu group has published extensively on synergistic combination therapies that pair immune checkpoint modulation with targeted metabolic inhibition. A dominant theme is leveraging nucleoside analog PET tracers (e.g., 18F-FAC, 18F-CFA) to visualize immune activation and metabolic stress in real time. Parallel studies dissect resistance mechanisms to PSMA-targeted alpha therapy and explore STING agonism as a strategy to sensitize otherwise refractory pancreatic and prostate tumors.

Scientific Awards & Honors: While the provided text does not enumerate specific awards, Dr. Radu’s leadership roles at UCLA and the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, along with continuous high-impact publications, attest to sustained recognition in cancer research.

Advising & Team: Dr. Radu mentors an active bench-to-bedside team comprising:

• Graduate Students: Amanda Creech, Hailey Lee
• Postdoctoral Scholar: Khalid Rashid
• Staff Research Associate: Weihang Zhao
• Lab Manager: Nanping Wu

Laboratory & Core Affiliations: The Radu laboratory operates within the CMINT program at the Jonsson Comprehensive Cancer Center, with ready access to UCLA’s preclinical imaging cores, flow cytometry facilities, and translational pathology resources. Collaborative ties span the departments of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology, Surgery, Radiological Sciences, and the Institute for Molecular Medicine.