Dihua Yu

Dihua Yu has made important contributions to understanding lung metastasis mechanisms, demonstrating how HER2/ErbB2 signaling promotes metastatic seeding and colonization of the lung through enhanced cancer cell survival during circulatory transit and increased adhesion to pulmonary endothelium. Her work revealed that circulating tumor cell clusters have dramatically higher metastatic potential than single CTCs due to cooperative signaling and enhanced survival. She has characterized the lung pre-metastatic niche and identified molecular targets for intercepting lung metastatic colonization. Her research on HER2-driven metastasis has informed clinical strategies combining anti-HER2 therapy with anti-metastatic approaches.