Cancer Biology

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Dennis K. Watson, Ph.D. - Division Director Areas of Research Interest Apoptosis Angiogenesis Migration and Invasion Metastasis Tumor Microenvironment Molecular Profiling Immunotherapy Gene Therapy Small Molecule Intervention The Cancer Biology Program, an interdisciplinary program leading to a Ph.D degree, was established in 2001 to provide students with training in diverse areas of cancer biology research. Cancer is a multi-step disease resulting from a series of genetic and epigenetic changes that abrogate normal cellular controls. The goal of the program is to develop within each student the approach to scientific thought founded upon basic molecular biology relevant to cancer needed for original research as an independent investigator in cancer biology.

The Cancer Biology Program is composed of MUSC faculty whose interests include basic studies in molecular biology, biochemistry, genetics, cell biology and immunology to translational research focused on problems of immediate clinical applicability. The Cancer Biology curriculum provides an overview of cancer biology and allows students the opportunity to pursue research under faculty mentors who conduct research relevant to understanding the molecular or cellular basis of any aspect of the cause, characteristics and treatment of cancer. Thus, the Cancer Biology Program provides research opportunities in many areas of Cancer Biology including Functional Genetics, Molecular Biology of Cancer, Experimental Therapeutics and Cancer Immunology. Students are encouraged to use the resources and expertise of several laboratories during the development of their cancer related dissertation projects, providing an enhanced experience that increases the expertise and competitiveness of our graduates. Successful students complete a publishable research project under a faculty mentor and present the research as a thesis.

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Cancer Biology Course Descriptions

MCBP-725D Topics in Cancer Research
Selected topics will be presented by individual students in Journal Club style. Students will present selected papers 2 times during the course and will be active discussants when other students are presenting.
Recent topics previously covered include:

Tumor metastasis Suppressor Genes Chemokines Oxidative stress and cancer Cancer progenitor cells & drug resistance miRNA Senescense VEGF, angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis Inflammation and cancer

Bone marrow derived cells Tumor microenvironmentRTK-targeted therapies Angiogenesis Immune Evasion and Tumor Immunology MAK Kinases Apoptosis and mitochondrial fission/fusion Transgenic and Knockout Analysis

Prerequisites: None.
Credits: 2 (Pass/Fail)
Rosenzweig and Watson

PCOL-725 Advanced topics in Cell Signaling
The vast majority of human diseases involve defects in cellular communication and therapeutic intervention often targets molecules involved in cell signaling. This course will dissect signaling cascades and their alterations in disease states addressing cutting edge issues. The course will be offered each Fall with the theme rotating among three broad topics: Cell Signaling in the Cardiovascular System, Cell Signaling in Cancer, Cell Signaling in the Nervous System. Specific diseases under these broader categories will be selected by faculty or students and then each disease will be dissected by one of the course participants (oral/written) to understand how signaling events are affected, how signaling dysfunction contributes to the onset or progression of the disease and how signaling events might be targeted in a therapeutic attack on the disease. The course is intended for advanced graduate and postgraduate students and will be coordinated with the Cell-Signaling Seminar Series (organized through the Department of Pharmacology) held each Fall, thus allowing seminar speakers to participate in the course.
Prerequisites: None.
Credits: 3
Kurtz

BMB-605B Mechanisms of Cancer Pathogenesis
Prerequisties: None
Credits: 3
Hannun & Ogretmen

MBIM 716 Development of Molecular Cancer Therapies: From Bench to Bedside
This course is organized into 7 sections (1) Introduction to cancer causation, initiation, molecular basis, and genetics; (2) Cancer molecular pathology and diagnosis; (3) Cancer imaging; (4) Immunology of cancer; (5) Drug therapy; (6) Cancer epidemiology, prevention and control; (7) Translational reserch
Credits: 2
Tew and Norris

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Cancer Biology Faculty

Alexander Awgulewitsch, Ph.D. Associate Professor Rheumatology/Immunology Transgenic mouse models for skin cancer and the role of Hox genes in skin development & cancer Craig Beeson, Ph.D. Associate Professor Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences Development of topoisomerase I inhibitors Narayan R. Bhat, Ph.D. Professor Department of Neurology Growth factor signaling and gliomagenesis Robert J. Boackle, Ph.D. Professor of Immunology Professor and Director of Oral Biology, Department of Stomatology Mucosal immunity, inflammation, mucosal defense against HIV, complement chemistry, cancer immunotherapy Maria G. Buse, M.D. Professor, Division of Endocrinology Cell regulation and hormones in relation to cancer David J. Cole, M.D. Professor Department of Surgery Mechanisms of T-cell recognition of tumor antigens to translate into ongoing clinical cancer vaccine/gene therapy trials Christopher J. Drake, Ph.D. Professor Department of Cell Biology & Anatomy The control and regulation of neovascular processes (angiogenesis & vasculogenesis) in tumor growthand metastasis Weiman Fan, M.D., M.P.H. Professor Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine Molecular Oncology, experimental therapeutics, and tumor growth regulation Sebastiano Gattoni-Celli, M.D. Professor Radiation Oncology Immunotherapy of cancer Yusuf A. Hannun, M.D. Ralph F. Hirschmann Professor and Chairman Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Tumor promotion/apoptosis, cancer therapeutics Stanley R. Hoffman, Ph.D. Professor Rheumatology/Immunology Function of specific ECM proteins and MMP's in metastasis & tumaor angiogenesis Tien Hsu, Ph.D. Professor Hollings Cancer Center Drosophila model systems for studying cancer-related gene functions Karl J. Karnaky, Ph.D. Associate Professor Cell Biology & Anatomy Role of membrane transporters, MRP1 and MRP2, in regulating exposure of human breast epithelial cells to xenobiotic and endogenous molecules Michael Kern, Ph.D. Associate Professor Cell Biology & Anatomy Target genes of homeobox transcription factors in cancer: microarrays and beyond. Steven W. Kubalak, Ph.D. Associate Professor Cell Biology & Anatomy Transforming growth factor-beta regulation of apoptosis Dhandapani Kuppuswamy, Ph.D. Associate Professor Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology Use terminally differentiated cardiac cells to identify factors that could negatively influence cancer cell growth Runzhao Li, M.D., M.Sc. Assistant Professor Department of Medicine Center for Molecular & Structural Biology Modulation of Ets transcription factors in tumor angiogenesis and apoptosis protein-protein interaction and the signals in transcriptional control of Ets target genes. Gene therapy, application of tumor suppressor genes and oncogenes for developing new anti-neoplastic targets.

JoEllyn M. McMillan Assistant Professor Cell Biology and Anatomy Mechanisms of hepatocarcinogenesis Michael Mitas, M.D. Assistant Professor Department of Surgery Breast cancr diagnostics and detection of associated genes Robin C. Muise-Helmericks, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Cell Biology and Anatomy Hollings Cancer Institute Role of the Ets family of transcription factors in angiogenesis and lymphoid development James S. Norris, Ph.D. Professor and Chairman Microbiology & Immunology Apoptosis & apoptosis signaling, bystander effect, ceramide, combined chemotherapy-gene therapy, and apoptosis inducing gene FasL, TRAIL, & BAX Lina M. Obeid, M.D. Professor Medicine Role of sphingolipids in tumor angiogenesis Makio Ogawa, M.D., Ph.D. Professor Department of Medicine Division of Experimental Hematology Differentiation and proliferation of hemopoietic stem cells Besim Ogretmen, Ph.D. Professor Department of Biochemistry Regulation of telomerase and roles of sphingolipids in cancer chemotherapy Swapan K. Ray, Ph.D. Associate Professor Department of Neurology involvement of calpain, a Ca2+-dependent cysteine protease, in the molecular mechanisms of cell death in disorders and diseases of the central nervous system Steven A. Rosenzweig, Ph.D. Professor Cell and Molecular Pharmacology Tumorigenesis, angiogenesis, hypoxia-inducible factor, IGF-binding proteins, receptor tyrosine kinases, and protein:protein interactions Clifford W. Schweinfest, Ph.D. Professor Department of Experimental Oncology The role of the growth suppressor gene, DRA, in colorectal neoplasia and the role of mismatch repair genes in prostate cancer Eleanor K. Spicer, Ph.D. Professor Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Post-transcriptional regulation of human bcl-2 expression Demetri D. Spyropoulos, Ph.D. Associate Professor Department of Medicine Lymphoid, breast, bladder, prostate, & colon cancer Stephen Tomlinson, Ph.D. Professor Microbiology & Immunology Role of complement & complement inhibitors in tumorigenesis and immune response to cancer Bryan Toole , Ph.D. Professor MCBP Hyaluronan and emmprin in cell survival signaling pathways, multidrug resistance, epithelial-mesenchymal transition, angiogenesis and invasiveness in cancer Maria Trojanowska, Ph.D. Professor Rheumatology/Immunology The role of stromal cells in tumor growth and progression Christina Voelkel-Johnson, Ph.D. Assistant Professor Microbiology and Immunology Apoptotic signaling and resistance mechanisms, metastasis, cancer therapy Thomas Walle, Ph.D. Professor Professor of Cell and Molecular Pharmacology Carcinogenesis: prevention and toxicology Michael J. Wargovich, Ph.D. Professor Cell and Molecular Pharmacology Cell and Molecular mechanisms of action Dennis K. Watson, Ph.D. Professor Laboratory of Cancer Genomics Pathology & Laboratory Medicine Mechanisms of cancer initiation, progression, and metastasis M. Rita I. Young, Ph.D. Professor of Medicine Department of Hematology Oncology Cancer motility, Angiogenesis, Imunotherapy

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