Research

I have a number of projects in my laboratory, and they all focus on some aspect of cancer.

Breast Cancer Project

We have developed a rat model of human breast cancer metastasis to the central nervous system (CNS).  This model allows us to inject human HER2+ breast cancer cells into athymic rats and see the cells migrate to the brain of these rats within 4-6 weeks.  Using this model, we are investigating two areas of research:

1. Can the metastasis to the CNS be decreased or blocked by drugs which stabilize the blood-brain barrier?
2. Can existing therapeutics be modified to more effectively cross the blood-brain barrier so that they can be used for treating these cancers even after they have metastasized to the brain?

Pancreatic Cancer Project

My lab also is involved in identifying new biomarkers for pancreatic cancer.  Pancreatic cancer is one of the deadliest cancers, five year survival rates are typically less then 5%. We are looking at two types of biomarkers in Pancreatic cancer:

1. Markers that will help predict the response to chemotherapy.
2. Markers that will help predict the stage and outcome of the disease.

Using these biomarkers, we hope to more accurately predict which chemotherapy drugs would be most successful in treating each patient, and make a more accurate prediction of the outcome for each patient.

2011 research

My laboratory works in identifying important biomarkers in human cancer. Currently, we are working on biomarkers associated with pancreatic cancer, one of the most devastating cancers in humans. We aim to identify new biomarkers that will aid in earlier detection and better treatments.

2009 research

Central nervous system (CNS) metastasis of breast cancer is a growing problem. We have developed an animal model of human CNS breast cancer metastasis. Using this model, we are identifying treatments that block metastasis to the CNS and modifying existing therapies to better treat these metastases once they occur.

Publications

Amann, J.M., Nip, J., Strom, D.K., Lutterbach, B., Harada, H., Lenny, N., Downing, J.R., Meyers, S., and Hiebert, S.W. ETO, a Target of the t(8;21) in Acute Leukemia, makes Distinct Contacts with Multiple Histone Deacetylases and Binds mSin3A through its oligormerization domain. Mol. Cell. Biol, 21(19): 6470-6483, 2001

Strom DK, Nip J, Westendorf JJ, Linggi B, Lutterbach B, Downing JR, Lenny N, Hiebert SW. Expression of the AML-1 oncogene shortens the G(1) phase of the cell cycle. J Biol Chem. 275(5):3438-45., 2000

Strom DK, Cleveland JL, Chellappan, S, Nip J, Hiebert SW. E2F-I but not E2F-3 accelerates apoptosis,blocks differentiation,and replaces IL-3 for cell cycle progression. Cell Growth and Diff. 9(l):59-69, 1998

Nip J,Strom DK, Cleveland JL, Zambetti G, Hiebert SW.Overexpression of the E2F-1 transcription factor in 32D.3 myeloid cell potentiates drug-induced apototic death in a p53 dependent manner. Mol Cell Biol, 17(3):1049-1056, 1997

Hitomi M, Harter ML, Strom DK, Hiebert SW, Shu J-Y, Stacey DW. Prostaglandin A2 blocks the activation of GI phase cyclin dependent kinases without interfering with the activity of several proto-oncogenes. J. Biol. Chem. 217:9379-9383, 1996

Hiebert SW, Packham G, Strom DK, Haffner R, Oren M, Zambetti G, Cleveland JL. E2F- I:DP-1 Induces p53 and Overrides Survival Factors to Trigger Apoptosis. Mol Cell Biol, 15(12):6864-6874, 1995

Kato J-Y, Matsuoka M, Strom DK, Sherr CJ. Regulation of cyclin D-dependent kinase-4 (CDK4) by CDK4 activating kinase (CAK). Mol Cell Biol 14:2713-2721, 1994

Vallance SJ, Lee H-M, Roussel MF, Shurtleff SA, Kato J-Y, Strom DK, Sherr CJ. Monoclonal antibodies to mammalian D-type GI cyclins. Hybridoma 13:2713-1721, 1994

Matsushime H, Ewen ME, Strom DK, Kato J-Y, Hanks SK, Roussel MF, Sherr CJ. Identification and properties of an atypical catalytic subunit (p34PSK-J3/Cdk4) for mammalian D-type GI cyclins. Cell 71:323-334, 1992

Strom DK, Postlind H, Tukey RH. Characterization of the rabbit CYP I A I and CYP I A2genes: Developmental and dioxin-inducible expression of rabbit liver P4501AI and P450IA2. Arch. Biochem Biophys 294:707-716, 1992

Potenza C, Pendurthi U, Strom DK, Tukey RH, Kronbach T, Schwab GE, Griffin KJ, Johnson EF. Regulation of the rabbit Cytochrome P450 3C gene (Cyp3a6): Age-dependent expression and induction by rifampicin occur through transcriptional activation. J Biol Chem 264(27):16222-16228, 1989

Yorek MA, Strom DK, Spector AA. Synthesis and high affinity uptake of serotonin and dopamine by human Y79 retinoblastoma cells. J. Neurochem 49(4):1316-1325, 1987

Yorek MA, Strom DK, Spector AA. Effects of membrane polyunsaturation on carrier mediated transport in cultured retinoblastoma cells: Alterations in taurine uptake. J Neurochem 42(l):254-261, 1984