Director of Pharmacology and Toxicology Program 
Director of Graduate Training Program in Toxicology
Director of Integrative Biomedical Sciences
Professor of Pharmacology and Toxicology
Senior Scientist in the UAB Comprehensive Cancer Center

Education: 
BS in Biology, Louisiana State University; Ph.D. in Microbiology, Louisiana State University; Postdoc at University of Texas Southwestern Medical School, Dallas (Biochemistry); University of Gottingen, Germany (Physiological Chemistry); Columbia University, New York (Biochemistry and Endocrinology); National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, North Carolina (Toxicology)

Honors and Awards:
Alexander von Humboldt Fellow and Columbia University Fellow. National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, National Cancer Institute, and Department of Defense grants.

Research Interests:
Molecular Endocrinology and Toxicology. My laboratory is investigating timing of exposure/treatment (prenatal, neonatal, prepubertal, life-time) for causing developmental alterations to the reproductive tract/endocrine system. Our focus has been on the effects that estrogenically-active chemicals can have on the breast, uterus, prostate and testes, and for fertility and endocrine action. We look at beneficial as well as toxic effects. Studies are carried out at the biochemical, cellular and molecular levels.

We were the first to report that early exposure to genistein, a component of soy, protected against chemically-induced mammary cancer. Genistein is capable of causing early mammary gland differentiation that subsequently results in reduced cell proliferation. In another study, we have demonstrated that dietary genistein protects against prostate cancer in a chemically-induced rat model and protects against spontaneously developing prostate cancer in a transgenic model (TRAMP mice). We are presently investigating sex steroid and growth factor signaling pathways and DNA methylation as mechanisms of action for (-) epigallocatechin-3-gallate, resveratrol and genistein. 

Recently, we have discovered that resveratrol, a component of red wine, protects against mammary gland and prostate cancers. We are presently investigating mechanisms of action.

Environmental chemicals such as TCDD, DDT, PCBs and Bisphenol-A are being investigated as endocrine disruptors. Early exposure to these estrogenically-active xenobiotics alters estrus cycle, vaginal opening, and mammary gland differentiation and cell proliferation. Present studies are concerned with the molecular expression of steroid receptors, and growth factor ligands and receptors using reverse transcription-PCR, Southern- and western- blot analysis, and proteomic technology.

Selected Publications:
Lamartiniere CA. Timing of Exposure and Mammary Cancer Risk. Mammary Gland Biology and Neoplasia. 7: 67-76, 2002.

Cotroneo MS, Wang J, Fritz WA, Eltoum I-E and Lamartiniere CA. Genistein Action in the Prepubertal Mammary Gland in a Chemoprevention Model. Carcinogenesis. 23: 1467-1474, 2002.

Wang J, Eltoum I-E and Lamartiniere CA. Genistein Regulates Growth Factor Signaling in Transgenic Mouse Model (TRAMP). Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology. 219:171-180, 2004.

Cotroneo MS, Fritz WA and Lamartiniere CA. Dynamic Profiling of Estrogen Receptor and Epidermal Growth Factor Signaling in the Uteri of Genistein- and Estrogen-treated Rats. Food and Chemical Toxicology. 43:637-645, 2005.

Rowell C, Carpenter DM and Lamartiniere CA. Modeling Biological Variability in 2-D gel Proteomic Carcinogenesis Experiments. Accepted for publication in Journal of Proteome Research, 2005.

Cotroneo, M.S., Fritz, W.A. and Lamartiniere, C.A. Dynamic profiling of estrogen receptor and epidermal growth factor signaling in the uteri of genistein- and estrogen-treated rats. Food and Chemical Toxicology. 43: 637-645, 2005.

Mentor-Marcel, R., Lamartiniere, C.A., Isam-Eldin Eltoum, I.-E., Norman M. Greenberg, N.M. and Elgavish, A. Dietary genistein improves survival and reduces expression of osteopontin in the prostate of transgenic mice with prostatic adenocarcinoma (TRAMP). J. Nutrition. 135; 989-995, 2005.

Rowell, C., Carpenter, D.M. and Lamartiniere, C.A. Modeling Biological Variability in 2-D gel Proteomic Carcinogenesis Experiments. Journal of Proteome Research, 4:1619-1627, 2005

Rowell, C., Carpenter, D.M. and Lamartiniere, C.A. Chemoprevention of Breast Cancer, Proteomic Discovery of Genistein Action in the Rat Mammary Gland. J Nutrition Sci, 135:2953S-2959S, 2005.

Whitsett, T., Jr, Carpenter, D.M. and Lamartiniere, C.A.  Resveratrol, but not EGCG, in the Diet Suppresses DMBA-induced Mammary Cancer in Rats. J. Carcinogenesis. 5: 15-25, 2006.

Whitsett T. and Lamartiniere, CA. Genistein and resveratrol: mammary cancer chemoprevention and mechanisms of action in the rat. Expert Review Anticancer Therapy. 6: 1699-1706, 2006.

Jenkins S, Rowell C, Wang J, Lamartiniere CA. Prenatal TCDD exposure predisposes for mammary cancer in rats. Reprod Toxicol. 23: 391-396, 2007.

Harper, C, Patel, B.B., Wang, J., Eltoum, I.E., Lamartiniere, C.A. Epigallocatechin-3-Gallate Suppresses Early Stage, but not Late Stage Prostate Cancer in TRAMP mice:  Mechanisms of Action. The Prostate. 67: 1576-1589, 2007.

Moral R, Wang R, Russo IH, Mailo DA, Lamartiniere CA, Russo J. The plasticizer butyl benzyl phthalate induces genomic changes in rat mammary gland after neonatal/prepubertal exposure. BMC Genomics. 2007; 8:453, 2007

Harper, C, Patel, B.B., Wang, J., Eltoum, I.E., Lamartiniere, C.A. Resveratrol Suppresses Spontaneously Developing Prostate Cancer in Transgenic Mice. Carcinogenesis. 28: 1946-1953, 2007.

Moral R, Wang R, Russo IH, Lamartiniere CA, Pereira J, Russo J. Effect of prenatal exposure to the endocrine disruptor bisphenol A on mammary gland morphology and gene expression signature. J Endocrinol. 196:101-12, 2008.

Grant Support

NIH  - Genomic and Proteomic Biomarkers of Biological Responses to Exposure. To determine genomic and proteomic signatures in blood of pubertal girls and blood and mammary tissue of rats exposed to endocrine disruptors. 

NIEHS - Study of Environment and Mammary Gland Development. To investigate the potential of environmental chemicals (TCDD, Bisphenol A, butyl benzyl phthalate) that are known endocrine disruptors, and one nutritional agent (genistein) that has been demonstrated to protect against breast cancer, when exposure occurs alone and in combination to alter mammary cancer susceptibility.

NIH - In Utero Mammary Cancer Risk with Resveratrol and TCDD. Our goal is to determine the potential of in utero exposures to resveratrol and TCDD, alone and in combination, to alter mammary gland development and differentiation, cell proliferation, protein expression, endocrine status in developing animals and susceptibility for mammary cancer in adult rats.

NIH - Center for Nutrient-Gene Interaction in Cancer Prevention. To investigate the potential of (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), resveratrol and genistein, alone and in combination to alter susceptibility for mammary cancer susceptibility and to investigate genomic and proteomic signatures following exposure to these nutrient chemicals.

DOD -  Proteomic Analysis of Genistein Mammary Cancer Chemoprevention Proteomic analysis and interstitial fluid analysis of mammary glands of rats treated with DMBA and genistein.

NIEHS - In Utero TCDD Programming for Mammary Cancer. Proteomic analysis of mammary gland from rats treated in uterowith TCDD.

DOD - Polyphenols and Prostate Cancer Chemoprevention. To investigate the potential of (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), resveratrol and genistein, alone and in combination to alter susceptibility for prostate cancer susceptibility.

To contact Dr. Lamartiniere:
1670 University Boulevard
VH 154
Birmingham, AL 35294-0019
Phone: (205) 934-7139
Fax: (205) 934 8240
E-mail:  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it