Mark Slomiany, Ph.D.
Postdoctoral Fellow
Ph.D. - Medical University of South Carolina
Tel: 843-792-8283
Fax: 843-792-2475
slomiamg@musc.edu
Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the pharyngeal and oral cavity account for nearly 8,000 deaths a year nationally, with South Carolina leading the way in oral cancer mortality. The IGF system has surfaced as a target for cancer therapeutics in a number of cancers as individuals with the highest serum levels of IGF-1 have been found to exhibit the highest risk of breast and prostate cancer. Preliminary evidence has established that the squamous cell carcinoma cell line SCC-09 secretes insulin-like growth factor binding proteins (IGFBPs) 2, 3, and 5 and expresses the IGF-1 receptor in high number. Because hypoxia inducible factor 1 alpha (HIF-1α) has previously been shown to be a head and neck cancer biomarker, we are examining the role of IGF-1 and hypoxia on the expression of HIF-1a and the secretion of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in SCC-09 cells.
Publications
Slomiany MG and Rosenzweig SA. IGF-1-Induced VEGF and IGFBP-3 Secretion Correlates with Increased HIF-1α Expression and Activity in Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cell Line D407. IOVS 45(8):2838-2847, 2004.
Slomiany MG and Rosenzweig SA. Autocrine Effects of IGF-1 Induced VEGF and IGFBP-3 Secretion in Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cell Line ARPE-19. Am J Phys: Cell Phys, 2004, in press.
HIF-1 Independent Regulation of VEGF and IGFBP-3 Secretion in Retinal Pigment Epithelial Cells. 2004, submitted.
