Dr. Evers’s basic research, continuously funded by the NIH for the past 21 years focuses on signaling pathways regulating colorectal cancer proliferation and metastasis and mechanisms contributing to intestinal cell differentiation and aging.  

His laboratory has identified key components of the PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway which play differential roles in colorectal carcinogenesis and differentiation.  Activation of phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), a ubiquitous lipid kinase composed of an 85 kDa regulatory subunit (p85) and a 110 kDa catalytic subunit (p110) and its downstream effector protein, Akt, is associated with the growth and progression of a number of cancers, including colorectal cancer. Dr. Evers’s group hypothesizes that colorectal cancer growth and progression are augmented by increased p85α and Akt2 expression and that selective inhibition of PI3K/Akt components can suppress colorectal cancer growth and metastasis and can sensitize resistant colorectal cancers to chemotherapeutic agents.  

Dr. Evers is the PI of an NIH MERIT award (R37 AG010885) which is focused on a better understanding of the function of the gut peptide neurotensin (NT) an important regulatory and trophic hormone localized to specialized enteroendocrine cells (N cells) of the adult small bowel.  

Using the novel endocrine cell line model, BON, investigators in Dr. Evers’s laboratory have identified the signaling pathways responsible for NT secretion.  Current studies are also focused on the effects of NT associated with aging and on the proliferation of various cancers.  Dr. Evers is the PI of an R01 from NIDDK (R01 DK048498) which has led to the discovery of new pathways contributing to intestinal cell differentiation.  

Current studies are analyzing unique interactions of mTOR on other signaling proteins such as the sirtuin family of proteins.  Finally, Dr. Evers is the PI for the UK GI Cancer SPORE planning grant (P20) which represents a multidisciplinary effort to identify better treatment, diagnostic and preventive strategies for GI cancers, a significant problem in Kentucky.  One project which is being performed in collaboration with Dr. Tianyan Gao is focused on colorectal cancer cell metabolism and effects of mTOR signaling.