CaliforniaStateUniversity,Fresno,DepartmentofBiologypresents:
“InvestigatingtheroleofmicroRNAsinTripleNegativeBreastCancer”
MaxineUmehPhDCandidate,Biochemistry
UCDavis
Friday,November9,20183:00–4:00PM
Science2,room109Forfurtherinformation:www.csufresno.edu/biology
Abstract:Triplenegativebreastcancer(TNBC)isclinicallydefinedastumorsthatlackexpressionoftheestrogenandprogesteronehormonereceptors,andamplificationofHer2.TNBCaccountsfor10-20%ofcases,andalthoughitrepresentsthemostaggressivesubtypeofbreastcancer,therearecurrentlynoeffectivetargetedtherapiesforTNBCduetoitslackofdrug-targetablereceptors.TNBChastheshortesttimetorelapse(highestmetastaticrate)andlowest3-5yearsurvivalrate,comparedtoothersubtypes,likelybecausethemajorityofTNBCpatientsshowlittle/noresponsetostandardchemotherapy,yetitistheonlyoptionforsystemictreatment.Thus,TNBCremainsbothachallengetounderstandandachallengetotreat,withtheneedtoidentifynovelgeneticdrivers,signalingaxes,andtherapeutictargetsforthisbreastcancertype.MicroRNAs(miRNAs)aresmallnon-codingRNAsthatnegativelyregulatetheexpressionofgenesthroughsequencespecificinteractionsinthe3’UTRofmRNAtargets,leadingtotranslationinhibitionormRNAdegradation.miRNAshaveemergedasbothmasterregulatorsofcancersignalingpathwaysandaspromisingtargetsforcancertherapy.miR-127isatumorsuppressormiRNAthatisdownregulatedinTNBC,suggestingthatitmayplayaroleinTNBCpathogenesis.TheoverallgoalofourprojectistoinvestigatethebiologicalfunctionofmiR-127inTNBCusinginsilico,invitro,andinvivoapproaches.Bio:Iama5thyearPhDcandidateatUCDavisintheBiochemistry,Molecular,Cell,andDevelopmentalBiologygraduategroup.MyeducationalbackgroundincludesaB.S.inDevelopmentalBiologyandaM.Sc.inQuantitativeandSystemsBiology,bothfromUCMerced.IamcurrentlyinthelaboratoryofDr.Sweeneywherewestudymammaryepithelialbiologyandbreastcancer.Myresearchfocusesontriplenegativebreastcancer(TNBC),whichisthemostaggressivetypeofbreastcancer,significantlyaffectingAfrican-AmericanandHispanicwomen,youngerwomen,andhasalowerlikelihoodofsurvival.
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