Title
The Effects of Inducible OSM on Metastasis in Breast Cancer
Document Type
Presentation
Publication Date
April 2010
Faculty Sponsor
Dr. Cheryl L. Jorcyk
Abstract
Breast adenocarcinoma is a cancer of glandular cells, and like most carcinomas is mediated by signaling pathways. Oncostatin M (OSM), in particular, is a signaling factor that binds to its receptors to elicit various effects in breast cancer cells, including decreasing proliferation while subsequently increasing metastatic potential. We hypothesize that increased breast cancer metastasis to bone, lung, and other organs will occur as a result of increased OSM expression. We are creating a stable MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cell line that will inducibly overexpress human OSM. MDA-MB-231 cells are currently being transfected with the pcDNA6TR vector and the pcDNA4/TO+huOSM vector and will be inducible by tetracycline. In vivo, this line will be used to observe tumor progression and metastasis as a function of inducible OSM by feeding mice tetracycline in their drinking water. These studies should allow us to follow the importance of OSM in breast cancer metastasis while eliminating OSM’s effect on tumor cell proliferation.