CAMRC Home Page The main research project is to understand the mechanism by which calcitriol regulates the tumor promoter, 12-0-tetradecanolyphorbol-13-acetate (TPA)-induced tumorigenic transformationof the preneoplastic mouse epidermal JB6 cells,e stablished by Dr. Colburn as a model for late stage tumor promotion study. Within this project are two related aims to determine the role of osteopontin (OPN) in tumorigenesis.
The first aim is to address whether OPN, an adhesive glycoprotein, is an important component in stimulating tumorigenic transformation of TPA-treated JB6 cells, since we and others have shown that osteopontin is highly expressed in transformed or tumorigenic cells compared to its normal counter part. To test whether osteopontin is involved in tumorigenesis, cells expressing antisense OPN will be established. These cells will be used to determine if the lack of OPN expression can inhibit TPA-induced cell transformation.
The second aim is to determine whether TPA-treated epidermal cells have the ability to adhere to OPN and thus may act as an autocrine factor to regulate cell transformation. Preliminary data indicate that TPA-treated mouse epidermal cells adhere to OPN while the untreated cells do not. I am currently extending this study to examine the integrins involved in adhering to OPN.
1996-Present. Assistant Professor, Department of Nutrition Sciences
1994-1996. Instructor, Department of Nutrition Sciences
1992-94. Postdoctoral Fellow, Department of Nutrition Sciences, UAB
1986-92. Predoctoral Fellow, Department of Nutrition Sciences, UAB
1981-86. Teaching Assistant, Department of Biochemistry, Kind Saud University, Scientific College for Girls in Malaaz Riyadh, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia