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Dr Dong Fu

BSc (Pharmacy), MSc (Pharmacology), PhD
Lecturer, Pharmaceutical Sciences

A15 - Pharmacy And Bank Building
The University of Sydney

Telephone +61 (0)2 9351 4444

Biographical details

After completing his Bachelor of Science (Pharmacy) and Master of Science (Pharmacology) studies, Dr Fu was awarded an International Postgraduate Research Scholarship from the Australian government and started his PhD research at the University of Sydney Faculty of Pharmacy. His PhD research demonstrated that interruption of P-glycoprotein trafficking resulted in greater accumulation of anticancer drugs in cancer cells, which revealed a novel strategy to overcome P-glycoprotein mediated multi-drug resistance in cancer chemotherapy. After his PhD, Dr Fu conducted his postdoctoral research at the University of Sydney, where he did seminal work on the mechanism of a novel anticancer drug, iron chelator, and its effect on regulation of cell cycle protein p21.


In 2007, Dr Fu was awarded a postdoctoral research fellowship from the National Institutes of Health (NIH), USA. He was mentored by Dr Irwin Arias and Dr Jennifer Lippincott-Schwartz, and undertook research at the Cellular Biology and Metabolism Branch, National Institute of Children and Human Development, NIH. Using 3D collagen sandwich culture of primary hepatocytes, his research investigated the effects of energy metabolism and bile acids in regulating hepatocyte polarisation and their cellular mechanisms. His studies opened up exciting avenues for linkage between hepatocyte polarisation and metabolism, AMPK, mitochondrial biology, autophagy, and have significant implications in liver development, regeneration and diseases (drug toxicity, liver cancer and viral infection). In September 2012, Dr Fu was appointed as Lecturer for the Faculty of Pharmacy at the University of Sydney.

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Research interests

  • Hepatocyte polarisation
Hepatocytes are the most abundant cells in the liver, and when polarised have apical and basolateral membranes separated by tight junctions. The formation and maintenance of a polarised epithelium is multifaceted, requiring specific cell-cell adhesion molecules, cytoskeletal factors, and intracellular trafficking components. Loss of polarity is likely to be a common denominator in liver failure associated with drug toxicity, alcoholism, cancer and viral infections. Understanding how hepatocyte repolarisation occurs in response to these conditions has important implications for treating liver disease and facilitating regeneration. Dr Fu uses a combination of cell biology, biochemical and imaging techniques to investigate the mechanism of hepatocyte polarisation.
Potential projects:
How does energy metabolism (AMPK and mitochondrial functions) regulate hepatocyte polarisation components (tight junction, cytoskeleton and apical trafficking)?
How drugs and/or pathogens affect hepatocyte polarisation and cause liver injury.
  • ABC transporter trafficking.
ATP-binding cassette (ABC) transporters are transmembrane proteins and important for many physiological functions (drug excretion, bile secretion and cholesterol transport). and pathological conditions (multidrug resistance in cancer chemotherapy). Dr Fu’s research investigates the cellular regulatory pathways for ABC transporter trafficking/recycling in polarised cells or cancer cells, focusing especially on the role of small GTPases and cytoskeletal proteins.

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Selected grants

2013

  • Robotic High Throughput Western Analysis for the Open Access, Multi-User Sydney Cancer Research Core Facility; Richardson D, Scolyer R, Boyer M, Halliday G, Damian D, Christopherson R, Joshua D, Kench J, Hong A, Murray M, Lee C, Kalinowski D, Naylor M, Lay P, Lyons J, Kovacevic Z, Mason R, Dixon K, Chan-Ling T, Hawkins C, Sunde M, Lovejoy D, Owens T, Rendina L, Jansson J, dos Remedios C, Charles (nee Slaviero) K, Lane D, Witting P, Dong Q, Ammit A, Groundwater P, Assinder S, Bao S, Byrne S, Zhou F, Buckland M, Grewal (, Huq F, Lai D, Codd R, Zhang D, Fu D, de Graaf S, Huang M, Payne R, Slobedman B, Barrs V, Ho P, Williamson P, Murphy C; DVC Research/Equipment Grant.
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Selected publications

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Journals

  • Fu, D., Arias, I. (2012). Intracellular trafficking of P-glycoprotein. The International Journal of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, 44(3), 461-464.
  • Fu, D., Wakabayashi, Y., Lippincott-Schwartz, J., Arias, I. (2011). Bile acid stimulates hepatocyte polarization through a cAMP-Epac-MEK-LKB1-AMPK pathway. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), 108(4), 1403-1408.
  • Fu, D., Lippincott-Schwartz, J., Arias, I. (2011). Cellular mechanism of bile acid-accelerated hepatocyte polarity. Small GTPases, 2(6), 314-317.
  • Baranova, I., Bocharov, A., Vishnyakova, T., Kurlander, R., Chen, Z., Fu, D., Arias, I., Csako, G., Patterson, A., Eggerman, T. (2010). CD36 is a novel serum amyloid A (SAA) receptor mediating SAA binding and SAA-induced signaling in human and rodent cells. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 285(11), 8492-8506.
  • Fu, D., Wakabayashi, Y., Ido, Y., Lippincott-Schwartz, J., Arias, I. (2010). Regulation of bile canalicular network formation and maintenance by AMP-activated protein kinase and LKB1. Journal of Cell Science, 123, 3294-3302.
  • Kovacevic, Z., Fu, D., Richardson, D. (2008). The iron-regulated metastasis suppressor, Ndrg-1: Identification of novel molecular targets. BBA: Biochimica et Biophysica Acta - Molecular Cell Research, 1783 (10), 1981-1992.
  • Fu, D., Roufogalis, B. (2007). Actin Disruption Inhibits Endosomal Traffic of P-glycoprotein-EGFP and Resistance to Daunorubicin Accumulation. American Journal of Physiology: Cell Physiology, 292(4), C1543-C1552.
  • Fu, D., Richardson, D. (2007). Iron chelation and regulation of the cell cycle: 2 mechanisms of posttranscriptional regulation of the universal cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21CIP1/WAF1 by iron depletion. Blood, 110(2), 752-761.
  • Nurtjahja-Tjendraputra, E., Fu, D., Phang, J., Richardson, D. (2007). Iron chelation regulates cyclin D1 expression via the proteasome: a link to iron deficiency-mediated growth suppression. Blood, 109(9), 4045-4054.
  • Fu, D., van Dam, E., Brymora, A., Duggin, I., Robinson, P., Roufogalis, B. (2007). The small GTPases Rab5 and RalA regulate intracellular traffic of P-glycoprotein. BBA: Biochimica et Biophysica Acta - Molecular Cell Research, 1773 (7), 1062-1072.
  • Fu, D., Bebawy, M., Kable, E., Roufogalis, B. (2004). Dynamic And Intracellular Trafficking Of P-Glycoprotein-EGFP Fusion Protein: Implications In Multidrug Resistance In Cancer. International Journal of Cancer, 109(2), 174-181.
  • Sun, L., Liu, X., Qiu, L., Wang, J., Liu, M., Fu, D., Luo, Q. (2001). Administration of plasmid DNA expressing human interleukin-6 significantly improves thrombocytopoiesis in irradiated mice. Annals of Hematology, 80(10), 567-572.

Conferences

  • Fu, D., Mitra, K., Lippincott-Schwartz, J., Arias, I. (2011). Mitochondrial fusion regulates hepatocyte polarization. The Liver Meeting 2011: The 62nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD), United States of America: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
  • Fu, D., Wakabayashi, Y., Lippincott-Schwartz, J., Arias, I. (2010). Bile Acid Stiumlates Hepatocyte Polarization through a Camp-Epac-Mek-Lkb1-Ampk Pathway. 50th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Cell Biology ASCB 2010, United States: American Society for Cell Biology.
  • Fu, D. (2010). Bile acids and hepatocytes polarity. Protein Trafficking Interested Group Meeting, Bethesda, USA: National Institutes of Health.
  • Fu, D., Wakabayashi, Y., Lippincott-Schwartz, J., Arias, I. (2010). New function of bile acid - regulation of polarity and cellular energy. The Liver Meeting 2010: The 61st Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD), United States: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
  • Fu, D., Wakabayashi, Y., Lippincott-Schwartz, J., Arias, I. (2009). Bile acids regulate bile canalicular network formation in rat hepatocytes. The Liver Meeting 2009: The 60th Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD), United States: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
  • Fu, D. (2008). The metabolic sensor, AMPK, and its upstream activator, LKB1, participate in bile canalicular and tight junctional formation, and apical content of ABCB1. 59th Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, Basic Research Workshop - Liver Cell Biology: Trafficking, San Francisco, USA: American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.
  • Fu, D., Wakabayashi, Y., Arias, I. (2008). The metabolic sensor, AMPK, and its upstream activator, LKB1, participate in formation and maintenance of bile canaliculus and tight junction, and apical content of ABCB1. The 59th Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Disease, United States: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
  • Fu, D., Nurtjahja-Tjendraputra, E., Phang, J., Richardson, D. (2006). Cellular Iron Levels Regulate Cyclin D1 Expression via the Proteasome: a Link to Iron-Depletion Mediated Grwoth Suppression. The Young Investigators Symposium.
  • Fu, D., Richardson, D. (2005). Iron-dependent regulation of the cell cycle: the expression of the universal cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21(cipl/wafl) after iron chelation. BioIron 2005, Prague.
  • Fu, D., Richardson, D. (2005). The cyclin-dependent kinast inhibitor p21CIPI/WAF1 is degraded by the proteasomal pathway after iron chelation. Seventh Annual MEPSA Scientific Conference.
  • Fu, D., Roufogalis, B. (2004). Endosomal trafficking of P-Glycoprotein: actin dependence. ABC Transporters Symposium, Sydney.
  • Fu, D., Roufogalis, B. (2003). Cellular localization of P-gp-EGFP correlates with cytotoxic drug accumulation in cancer cells. Hunter Cellular Biology Meeting, Australia: Cellular Biology Meeting Inc,.
  • Fu, D., Roufogalis, B. (2003). Intracellular trafficking and recycling of P-glycoprotein-EGFP fusion is actin dependent. 43rd Annual Meeting of the American Society for Cell Biology, USA: American Society for Cell Biology.
  • Fu, D., Roufogalis, B. (2003). Overcoming multidrug resistance by blocking intracellular trafficking of P-glycoprotein in human cancer cells. APSA (Australia Pharmaceutical Science Association) 2003 Conference, Integrating Research into Practice, Australia: Australia Pharmaceutical Science Association.
  • Fu, D. (2003). Trafficking and recycling of P-glycoprotein-EGFP fusion: Implication for cancer chemotherapy. Australian Key Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis Presentation, Sydney, Australia: Australian Key Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis.
  • Fu, D., Bebawy, M., Kable, E., Roufogalis, B. (2002). Characterisation and intracellular localisation of P-glycoprotein-EGFP fusion protein. ComBio 2002, Sydney: Australian Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

2012

  • Fu, D., Arias, I. (2012). Intracellular trafficking of P-glycoprotein. The International Journal of Biochemistry and Cell Biology, 44(3), 461-464.

2011

  • Fu, D., Wakabayashi, Y., Lippincott-Schwartz, J., Arias, I. (2011). Bile acid stimulates hepatocyte polarization through a cAMP-Epac-MEK-LKB1-AMPK pathway. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), 108(4), 1403-1408.
  • Fu, D., Lippincott-Schwartz, J., Arias, I. (2011). Cellular mechanism of bile acid-accelerated hepatocyte polarity. Small GTPases, 2(6), 314-317.
  • Fu, D., Mitra, K., Lippincott-Schwartz, J., Arias, I. (2011). Mitochondrial fusion regulates hepatocyte polarization. The Liver Meeting 2011: The 62nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD), United States of America: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

2010

  • Fu, D., Wakabayashi, Y., Lippincott-Schwartz, J., Arias, I. (2010). Bile Acid Stiumlates Hepatocyte Polarization through a Camp-Epac-Mek-Lkb1-Ampk Pathway. 50th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Cell Biology ASCB 2010, United States: American Society for Cell Biology.
  • Fu, D. (2010). Bile acids and hepatocytes polarity. Protein Trafficking Interested Group Meeting, Bethesda, USA: National Institutes of Health.
  • Baranova, I., Bocharov, A., Vishnyakova, T., Kurlander, R., Chen, Z., Fu, D., Arias, I., Csako, G., Patterson, A., Eggerman, T. (2010). CD36 is a novel serum amyloid A (SAA) receptor mediating SAA binding and SAA-induced signaling in human and rodent cells. Journal of Biological Chemistry, 285(11), 8492-8506.
  • Fu, D., Wakabayashi, Y., Lippincott-Schwartz, J., Arias, I. (2010). New function of bile acid - regulation of polarity and cellular energy. The Liver Meeting 2010: The 61st Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD), United States: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
  • Fu, D., Wakabayashi, Y., Ido, Y., Lippincott-Schwartz, J., Arias, I. (2010). Regulation of bile canalicular network formation and maintenance by AMP-activated protein kinase and LKB1. Journal of Cell Science, 123, 3294-3302.

2009

  • Fu, D., Wakabayashi, Y., Lippincott-Schwartz, J., Arias, I. (2009). Bile acids regulate bile canalicular network formation in rat hepatocytes. The Liver Meeting 2009: The 60th Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD), United States: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

2008

  • Kovacevic, Z., Fu, D., Richardson, D. (2008). The iron-regulated metastasis suppressor, Ndrg-1: Identification of novel molecular targets. BBA: Biochimica et Biophysica Acta - Molecular Cell Research, 1783 (10), 1981-1992.
  • Fu, D. (2008). The metabolic sensor, AMPK, and its upstream activator, LKB1, participate in bile canalicular and tight junctional formation, and apical content of ABCB1. 59th Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases, Basic Research Workshop - Liver Cell Biology: Trafficking, San Francisco, USA: American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases.
  • Fu, D., Wakabayashi, Y., Arias, I. (2008). The metabolic sensor, AMPK, and its upstream activator, LKB1, participate in formation and maintenance of bile canaliculus and tight junction, and apical content of ABCB1. The 59th Annual Meeting of the American Association for the Study of Liver Disease, United States: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

2007

  • Fu, D., Roufogalis, B. (2007). Actin Disruption Inhibits Endosomal Traffic of P-glycoprotein-EGFP and Resistance to Daunorubicin Accumulation. American Journal of Physiology: Cell Physiology, 292(4), C1543-C1552.
  • Fu, D., Richardson, D. (2007). Iron chelation and regulation of the cell cycle: 2 mechanisms of posttranscriptional regulation of the universal cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21CIP1/WAF1 by iron depletion. Blood, 110(2), 752-761.
  • Nurtjahja-Tjendraputra, E., Fu, D., Phang, J., Richardson, D. (2007). Iron chelation regulates cyclin D1 expression via the proteasome: a link to iron deficiency-mediated growth suppression. Blood, 109(9), 4045-4054.
  • Fu, D., van Dam, E., Brymora, A., Duggin, I., Robinson, P., Roufogalis, B. (2007). The small GTPases Rab5 and RalA regulate intracellular traffic of P-glycoprotein. BBA: Biochimica et Biophysica Acta - Molecular Cell Research, 1773 (7), 1062-1072.

2006

  • Fu, D., Nurtjahja-Tjendraputra, E., Phang, J., Richardson, D. (2006). Cellular Iron Levels Regulate Cyclin D1 Expression via the Proteasome: a Link to Iron-Depletion Mediated Grwoth Suppression. The Young Investigators Symposium.

2005

  • Fu, D., Richardson, D. (2005). Iron-dependent regulation of the cell cycle: the expression of the universal cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor p21(cipl/wafl) after iron chelation. BioIron 2005, Prague.
  • Fu, D., Richardson, D. (2005). The cyclin-dependent kinast inhibitor p21CIPI/WAF1 is degraded by the proteasomal pathway after iron chelation. Seventh Annual MEPSA Scientific Conference.

2004

  • Fu, D., Bebawy, M., Kable, E., Roufogalis, B. (2004). Dynamic And Intracellular Trafficking Of P-Glycoprotein-EGFP Fusion Protein: Implications In Multidrug Resistance In Cancer. International Journal of Cancer, 109(2), 174-181.
  • Fu, D., Roufogalis, B. (2004). Endosomal trafficking of P-Glycoprotein: actin dependence. ABC Transporters Symposium, Sydney.

2003

  • Fu, D., Roufogalis, B. (2003). Cellular localization of P-gp-EGFP correlates with cytotoxic drug accumulation in cancer cells. Hunter Cellular Biology Meeting, Australia: Cellular Biology Meeting Inc,.
  • Fu, D., Roufogalis, B. (2003). Intracellular trafficking and recycling of P-glycoprotein-EGFP fusion is actin dependent. 43rd Annual Meeting of the American Society for Cell Biology, USA: American Society for Cell Biology.
  • Fu, D., Roufogalis, B. (2003). Overcoming multidrug resistance by blocking intracellular trafficking of P-glycoprotein in human cancer cells. APSA (Australia Pharmaceutical Science Association) 2003 Conference, Integrating Research into Practice, Australia: Australia Pharmaceutical Science Association.
  • Fu, D. (2003). Trafficking and recycling of P-glycoprotein-EGFP fusion: Implication for cancer chemotherapy. Australian Key Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis Presentation, Sydney, Australia: Australian Key Centre for Microscopy and Microanalysis.

2002

  • Fu, D., Bebawy, M., Kable, E., Roufogalis, B. (2002). Characterisation and intracellular localisation of P-glycoprotein-EGFP fusion protein. ComBio 2002, Sydney: Australian Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology.

2001

  • Sun, L., Liu, X., Qiu, L., Wang, J., Liu, M., Fu, D., Luo, Q. (2001). Administration of plasmid DNA expressing human interleukin-6 significantly improves thrombocytopoiesis in irradiated mice. Annals of Hematology, 80(10), 567-572.
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Keywords

Cancer

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