SUSAN G. KOMEN BREAST CANCER FOUNDATION AWARDS UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH
RESEARCHER FOR INNOVATIVE PROJECT TO IMPROVE BREAST CANCER TREATMENT
PITTSBURGH, May 04, 2004 — Robert W. Sobol Jr., PhD, assistant professor of
pharmacology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, has received a
$250,000 award from the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation for a project
that seeks to identify the mechanisms that trigger tumor cell death in order to
improve the ability of a promising breast cancer treatment.
Dr. Sobol, who joined the University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute (UPCI) in
2002, focuses his research on the identification of mechanisms that may improve
the ability of a frequently used chemotherapy agent, temozolomide (TMZ), to
damage the DNA of cancer cells. While TMZ is an effective treatment for many
cancers, its ability to destroy cancer cells depends on how effectively it can
damage the DNA of these cells, preventing them from multiplying and causing them
to eventually die.
"Tumor cells, unfortunately, are quite robust and can often repair the damage
that chemotherapy causes to their DNA," said Dr. Sobol. "In order to improve the
efficacy of chemotherapeutic agents for breast cancer, we need to develop ways
to subvert the ability of cancer cells to repair themselves. I am hopeful that
our project will lead to discoveries of promising new approaches that improve
the efficacy of therapy by identifying the mechanisms that control cancer cells'
ability to survive."
Dr. Sobol explained that the ability of cancer treatments like TMZ to destroy
the DNA of tumor cells depends, in part, on the expression of a
tumor-suppressing gene called p53. While p53 prevents normal cells from turning
into life-threatening tumor cells, it is damaged in most cancers, and damage to
the p53 gene correlates with worse clinical outcomes for many cancer patients.
Dr. Sobol's team discovered that, when deregulated, a gene expression pathway
called base excision repair (BER) - integral in repairing damage to tumor cells
- dramatically improved the tumor cell killing abilities of TMZ regardless of
the status of the p53 gene. In other words, when BER is deregulated, TMZ caused
a strong anti-tumor response in breast cancer cells independent of p53.
In the current project, Dr. Sobol seeks to further identify the mechanism in the
BER pathway that can trigger cancer cell death independent of p53. "If we can
discover the mechanism that triggers cell death in the BER pathway without
relying on p53, we can facilitate even greater therapeutic efficacy of drugs
such as TMZ," said Dr. Sobol. "In addition, we can conceivably develop new drugs
that target and inhibit the BER pathway, causing tumor cells to die without
p53."
The Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation Award and Research Grant Program
supports innovative breast cancer research and a variety of meritorious awards
and educational and scientific programs around the world. Since its inception in
1982, the Foundation has awarded more than 850 grants totaling more than $110
million for breast cancer research. The Foundation currently supports research
at many institutions in the United States and around the world, investing in
cutting-edge research that might not be funded elsewhere. The Foundation remains
the world's largest private source of funding for breast cancer research and
community outreach programs.
UPCI is the only National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer
center in western Pennsylvania and as such, is a recognized leader in providing
state-of-the-art cancer prevention, detection, diagnosis and treatment services;
bio-medical research; patient care and support; and community outreach services.
UPCI investigators are world-renowned for their work in clinical and basic
cancer research.
Source :
http://www.upci.upmc.edu/news/upci_news/2004/050404_breast_komen.html