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Molecular and Cellular Biology

Houston, Texas

Image 1: Ovulated mouse cumulus cell oocyte complex immunostained for matrix proteins hyaluronan and versican. By JoAnne Richards, Ph.D.; Image 2: By Yi LI, Ph.D.; Image 3: Mouse oocyte at meiosis I immunostained for tubulin (red) phosphop38MAPK (green) and DNA (blue). By JoAnne Richards, Ph.D.; Image 4: Expanded cumulus cell ooctye ocmplex immunostained for hyaluronan (red), TSG6 (green) and DAN (blue). By JoAnne Richards, Ph.D.; Image 5: Epithelial cells taken from a mouse mammary gland were cultured in a dish and transduced with a retrovirus expressing two genes. The green staining shows green fluorescent protein and the red staining shows progesterone receptor expression. The nucleus of each cell is stained blue. Photomicrograph taken at 200X magnification. By Sandra L. Grimm, Ph.D.; Image 6: Ovarian vasculature (red) is excluded from the granulosa cells (blue) within growing follicles (round structures); Image 7: Ovulated mouse cumulus cell oocyte complex immunostained for matrix proteins hyaluronan and versican. By JoAnne Richards, Ph.D.
Department of Molecular and Cellular Biology
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Steffi Oesterreich, Ph.D.

Steffi Oesterreich, Ph.D. photoAssociate Professor
Departments of Medicine (Lester and Sue Smith Breast Center) and Molecular and Cellular Biology

Education

Ph.D (1992).: Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany
Postdoctoral training: University of Texas Health Science Center, San Antonio

Research Interest

Molecular Mechanisms of Endocrine Resistance in Breast Cancer
Estrogen mediates its potent mitogenic effects through the estrogen receptor (ER), which has been a successful target for endocrine therapy in breast cancer. Despite the success of such treatment, de novo or acquired resistance remains a major problem. A better understanding of how ER works is critical for the development of more efficient therapies, and better prediction for who should receive which form of endocrine therapy.

The main research interest of the lab is to understand molecular of endocrine response in breast cancer. One of our research projects focuses on the role of co-regulator proteins in estrogen response in breast cancer. We have also ongoing projects on estrogen-mediated repression of gene transcription, crosstalk between ER and growth factor signaling, the close connection between estrogen signaling and epigenetic regulation of gene transcription, and the role of regulatory elements which are located far outside the promoter of the estrogen regulated genes, and which might even be on other chromosomes. We are studying these processes (as outlined in the model below) using molecular and cellular techniques, mouse models, and clinical specimens.

Breast Cancer Estrogen Receptors and Corepressor Mechanism of Action. Model illustration.

Contact Information

Baylor College of Medicine
One Baylor Plaza, MS: BCM600
Houston, TX 77030

Phone: 713-798-1623
E-mail: steffio@breastcenter.edu
Lab Web Site: http://www.breastcenter.tmc.edu/labs/oesterreich/

Selected Publications

  1. Malik S, Jiang J, Garee JP, Verdin E, Lee AV, O’Malley B, Zhang M, Belaguli NS, Oesterreich S. HDAC7 and FoxA1 in estrogen-mediated repression of RPRM. Mol Cell Biol. In press
  2. Hammerich-Hille S, Kaipparettu BA, Tsimelzon A, Creighton SJ, Jiang S, Polo JM, Melnick A, Meyer R, Oesterreich S. SAFB1 mediates repression of immune regulators and apoptotic genes in breast cancer cells. J Biol Chem. In press
  3. Rae, JM, Skaar TC, Hilsenbeck, SG, Oesterreich S. The Role of Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms in Breast Cancer Metastasis. Breast Cancer Res. (2008). Jan 18;10(1):301
  4. Dobrzycka KM, Kang K, Jiang S, Meyer R, Rao PH, Lee AV and Oesterreich S. (2006). Disruption of Scaffold Attachment Factor B1 Leads to TBX2 Up-regulation, Lack of p19ARF Induction, Lack of Senescence, and Cell Immortalization. Cancer Res. 66(16):7859-63.
  5. Ivanova M, Dobrzycka KM, Jiang S, Michaelis K, Meyer R, Kang K, Adkins B, Barski OA, Zubairy S, Divisova J, Lee AV and Oesterreich S. (2005). Scaffold attachment factor B1 functions in development, growth, and reproduction. Mol Cell Biol. 25(8):2995-3006.

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