Breast cancer is the most common cancer as well as the leading cause of death from cancer among women worldwide. The Chodosh laboratory uses genetically engineered mouse models to study the genes and mechanisms that cause breast cancer and that regulate normal mammary gland development. Particular areas of interest include: the function of oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes in breast cancer, metastasis, tumor dormancy and recurrence; the role of stem cells in cancer and the normal development of the mammary gland; the use of genomics and computational approaches to understand genetic programs in mammary development and breast cancer; the mechanisms by which pregnancy protects against breast cancer; and the use of non-invasive imaging approaches such as PET, MRI, and bioluminescence to study tumor biology. These approaches employ a broad array of molecular, cellular, animal, human, and in silico model systems to study the function of key regulatory molecules in mammary gland and tumor biology.

The Chodosh laboratory uses genetically engineered mouse models to study the genes and mechanisms that cause breast cancer and that regulate normal mammary gland development. The relationship between mammary development and breast cancer susceptibility is illustrated by the observation that women who have their first child early in life have a significantly lower lifetime risk of developing breast cancer.

Understanding the molecular biology of breast cancer susceptibility requires a thorough understanding of the normal developmental biology of the mammary gland, the mechanisms by which breast cancers arise, and the role played by key regulatory molecules in each of these processes. Current experimental approaches towards these goals in the Chodosh laboratory include:
1. Creating genetically engineered mouse models in which specific oncogenic pathways can be inducibly activated or repressed;
2. Using inducible animal models to analyze the effect of developmental events on the mammary gland's response to a defined oncogenic stimulus;
3. Using inducible animal models to dissect the process of carcinogenesis;
4. Defining the molecular and cellular changes that occur in the mammary glands of mice, rats, and humans during stages of development that influence breast cancer risk;
5. Using genomic and computational approaches to investigate genetic programs in mammary development and carcinogenesis; and
6. Studying the function of three novel serine/threonine kinases in mammary development and carcinogenesis. These approaches employ a variety of molecular, cellular, animal, human, and in silico model systems to study the function of key regulatory molecules in mammary gland biology.



Contact:
Chodosh Laboratory
Department of Cancer Biology
421 Curie Boulevard
627 BRB II/III
Philadelphia, PA 19104-6160
Ph: (215) 898-0006
Fax: (215) 573-6725

Lab Manager:
Judith Smith
smithja@mail.med.upenn.edu
215-898-0275

Associate Director:
Judy Farrell
jufarrel@mail.med.upenn.edu
215-573-3224

Administrative Coordinator:
Caroline Kitzmiller
kitzmill@mail.med.upenn.edu
215-898-8532

Administrative Assistant:
Katelyn Wichert
kwichert@exchange.upenn.edu
215-746-5031