Dr. Ameae Walker, a Professor in the Division of Biomedical Sciences, has received a new grant from the California Breast Cancer Research Program that deals with breast cancer stem cells. One aspect of this grant is to determine if Dr. Walker's proposed new drug therapy reduces breast cancer stem cells. The project, which is entitled "Targeting Prolactin as a Novel Treatment for Breast Cancer", began August 1, 2011 and will continue for 18 months.

Dr. Walker's lab will use in vitro experiments to determine the functional consequences of upregulating a dominant negative version of the prolactin receptor. She will use both human and mouse breast cancer cells and analyze the effects of this upregulation on cell survival, proliferation, differentiation, migration, invasion, cell markers of stemness, and the ability of cells in the culture to form mammospheres. The results of her study will help to clarify the potential ability of her therapeutic strategy to slow or halt the growth and spread of tumors, and to eradicate tumor stem cells.

Dr. Walker's research includes two patient advocates with different personal histories of breast cancer. These advocates have been involved in the development of the project and will continue to participate in it and provide valuable input on the risk/benefit analysis as the new project continues.

 Dr. Ameae M. Walker
Professor of Biomedical Sciences

Ph.D. Cell Biology 1976 Liverpool University, England

CONTACT

Phone : (951) 827-5942
Fax : (951) 827-5504
e-mail : ameae.walker@ucr.edu