Our research interests lie in the area of breast cancer progression and invasion. We use transgenic mouse models of spontaneous carcinoma to understand the molecular mechanisms of primary tumor development and metastatic progression. Tumor growth and invasion is a complex process involving not only the transformed cells of the primary tumor, but also contributions from blood and lymph vessels, extracellular matrix components, cells in the surrounding tissues which provide growth factors, and distant organs which provide hormones. All these contributing factors require the use of animal models to accurately recapitulate tumor formation and spread so that we can properly investigate the molecular mechanisms of cancer.
We are specifically interested in understanding the interactions between the erbB family of transmembrane receptors and other proteins that may modulate their function in neoplasia. Our work focuses on investigating the interactions between the erbB and Wnt signaling cascades, as well as interactions between EGFR (erbB1) and the tumor antigen, MUC1. To fully understand the molecular changes that occur in cancer, our research also focuses on these molecules as they affect the development and function of the normal mammary gland. Through the elucidation of these molecular pathways as they effect breast cancer development, we can expand our understanding of the basic biology of the disease as well as work towards developing effective treatments.
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of the BMCB site and to an abstract of that particular paper.
Pochampalli, M.R., Bejjani, R.M., and Schroeder, J.A. 2006. MUC1 is a novel regulator of erbB receptor trafficking. Oncogene in press.
Lopez, J.I., T.D. Camenisch, M.A. Stevens, B.J. Sands, J. McDonald, and J.A. Schroeder. 2005. CD44 attenuates metastatic invasion during breast cancer progression. Cancer Research 65: 6755-6763.
Schroeder, J.A., M.C. Adriance, E.J. McConnell, M.C. Thompson, B.A. Pockaj, and S.J. Gendler. 2002. ErbB/b-catenin complexes are associated with human infiltrating ductal breast and MMTV-Wnt-1 and MMTV-c-neu transgenic carcinomas. Journal of Biological Chemistry 277: 22692-22698.
Schroeder, J.A., K. Troyer, and D.C. Lee. 2000. Cooperative induction of mammary tumorigenesis by TGFa and Wnts. Oncogene 19: 3193-3199.
Schroeder, J.A., and D.C. Lee. 1997. Transgenic mice reveal roles for TGFa and EGF receptor in mammary gland development and neoplasia. Journal of Mammary Gland Biology and Neoplasia 2: 119-129.
