Professor,
Eppley Institute for
Research in Cancer,
Ph.D. - John Hopkins University, 1968
Recent Awards: Twelfth Linus Pauling Functional Medicine Award, 2006
UNMC Distinguished Scientist, 2007
Research Interests:
Metabolic activation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and catechol estrogens to form DNA adducts, generate oncogenic mutations and initiate cancer
Our research centers around elucidating mechanisms of activation of carcinogens, identifying carcinogen-DNA adducts, and correlating adducts with oncogenic mutations. From our study of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) metabolism and DNA adducts, we have demonstrated that the predominant adducts are lost by depurination, leaving mutagenic apurinic sites in the DNA. This research involves identification and quantitation of PAH-DNA adducts and correlation of the adducts with Harvey-ras mutations in mouse skin papillomas induced by the PAH. We have extended our studies to endogenous catechol estrogen metabolites and found that the carcinogenic metabolites form depurinating DNA adducts. We hypothesize that this is the pathway of initiation for human breast, prostate and other cancers. Current and future studies include how these mutations initiate cancer and development of strategies for prevention of cancer.