The Kilgore Lab
The lab is dedicated to helping end the threat of breast cancer. We are focused on uncovering the molecular mechanism whereby nuclear, hormone receptors regulate the growth and progression of tumors. These studies will lead us to identifying novel therapeutic targets that we can exploit in the treatment or prevention of breast cancer.
PPARγ and Breast Cancer
Recent advances in our understanding of gene regulation and function and the decoding of the human genome have presented those of us in medical research with a breathtaking opportunity to study the causes and cures of devastating disease such as cancer. My lab is focused on using these tools to address the cause of the rising rates of breast cancer and to examine the role of endogenous hormones such as the estrogens and environmental exposure in its etiology. These studies focus our expertise in molecular biology to study hormone action and define dietary compounds that alter the risks of breast and other types of cancer. Recent findings in our lab demonstrate that like the estrogen receptor, the gamma form of the peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR) may represent a therapeutic target for the prevention or treatment of several types of cancer including breast, prostate and lung cancer. We are using state-of-the art approaches including GeneChip (microarray) technology, real-time PCR and other molecular tools to assess both basic mechanisms of hormone action and explore possible therapeutic approaches in the treatment of these tumors. Furthermore, we have now shown that like other hormones, fatty acids too bind receptor and mediate target gene expression which may represent a molecular link between diet and cancer including breast cancer. By employing the tools of molecular biology and functional genomics, we are focused on finding a cure for this devastating disease.
