The Lee Laboratory
Research Interest
Steroid hormone receptors and growth factor interactions in normal breast development and breast cancer
Our research projects focus on the interactions between the estrogen receptor and insulin-like growth factor (IGF) signaling pathways. Our findings show that normal interaction and synergism between these pathways during normal breast development is perturbed in the earliest stages of premalignant breast disease, and that targeting this cross-talk will be useful for the prevention and treatment of breast cancer.
The Lee lab members include technicians, graduate students and postdoctoral fellows who are trained in a multi-disciplinary environment to work on the basic, translational, and clinical aspects of breast cancer research.
Two of the most widely studied areas of breast cancer growth include the estrogen receptor (ER) and growth factor receptor systems (e.g. ErbB2). Not surprisingly, these two areas have also been the major focus of targeted treatment, leading to the successful development of antiestrogens, aromatase inhibitors, and anti-ErbB2 strategies.
Despite the success of such treatments, side-effects are a problem, efficacy is still not maximal, and resistance often occurs. A better understanding of the cell biology of breast cancer, and development of the normal breast, will undoubtedly lead to better treatments and, hopefully, the prevention of breast cancer.
Images (left) of mouse mammary glands during the progression to mammary cancer. Top images are whole mounts, bottom images are H+E.