As fetal tissues are more sensitive to the effects of chemical and physical carcinogens than are adult tissues, the embryos and fetuses of pregnant women are at a greater risk of developing cancers from environmental exposures than is the adult population. My laboratory uses a variety of techniques to study this problem, starting with in vivo bioassays in rodents to assess the carcinogenicity of environmental chemicals found in the diet and as byproducts of fuel combustion and cigarette smoking. The tumors generated in these bioassays are then assayed at the histological, biochemical, and molecular levels. These studies utilize biochemical enzyme assays to assess the metabolic activity of the mice for specific enzymes. Mutations at critical regulatory genes that control cell growth are assessed by analysis of gene structure for mutations that alter gene function.
Immunohistochemistry is used to assess the relative levels of protein expression in tumors.
A second area of interest that is being pursued in my laboratory has been to extend our rodent work into human tumors. We currently have a pilot project ongoing to assess the effect of drug metabolic enzymes on the relative levels of gene mutations in human breast cancer patients. These studies may aid in the development of effective prevention strategies for individuals based on genetic risk factors. Students rotating through my laboratory will be taught the basic techniques of molecular biology and, depending on the length of the rotation and the student's interest, some of the more advanced methodologies for gene mutation analysis. Tumor suppressor genes in rodent lung carcinogenesis-mutation of p53 does not appear to be an early lesion in lung tumor pathogenesis.