(Taken from the Candidate's Abstract) Ultraviolet radiation (UV) exposure is believed to be the major environmental risk factor contributing to the development of non-melanoma skin cancer, the most common cancer in Caucasians in the United States. UV has been shown to activate the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in epithelial cells. Exposure to UV also induces cell proliferation, epidermal hyperplasia, apoptosis, and skin tumors in genetically-initiated v-Ha-ras transgenic TG.AC mice. Activation of EGFR is mitogenic to keratinocytes and contributes to skin tumor growth in v-Ha-ras initiated cells. This proposal is designed to test the hypothesis that UV-induced activation of EGFR contributes to UV- induced skin tumor development, suggesting that blockade of EGFR signaling has potential for prevention of UV-induced skin tumors.
Specific aim 1 will determine whether UV activates EGFR in mouse and human skin and keratinocytes and whether it is active in UV-induced mouse skin papillomas from v-Ha-ras transgenic TG.AC mice.
Specific aim 2 will determine whether EGFR activation by UV results in increased cell proliferation and suppression of apoptosis in both human and mouse keratinocytes and skin.
Specific aim 3 will determine whether LTV-induced EGFR activation contributes to v-Ha-ras initiated skin tumorigenesis.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
Type
Career Transition Award (K22)
Project #
5K22ES000365-03
Application #
6627019
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (ZES1-LKB-C (K3))
Program Officer
Shreffler, Carol K
Project Start
2001-01-23
Project End
2004-12-31
Budget Start
2003-01-01
Budget End
2004-12-31
Support Year
3
Fiscal Year
2003
Total Cost
$107,840
Indirect Cost
Name
Creighton University
Department
Other Basic Sciences
Type
Schools of Medicine
DUNS #
053309332
City
Omaha
State
NE
Country
United States
Zip Code
68178
El-Abaseri, Taghrid B; Putta, Sumanth; Hansen, Laura A (2006) Ultraviolet irradiation induces keratinocyte proliferation and epidermal hyperplasia through the activation of the epidermal growth factor receptor. Carcinogenesis 27:225-31
El-Abaseri, Taghrid B; Fuhrman, Jill; Trempus, Carol et al. (2005) Chemoprevention of UV light-induced skin tumorigenesis by inhibition of the epidermal growth factor receptor. Cancer Res 65:3958-65
Maklad, Adel; Fritzsch, Bernd; Hansen, Laura A (2004) Innervation of the maxillary vibrissae in mice as revealed by anterograde and retrograde tract tracing. Cell Tissue Res 315:167-80
Repertinger, Susan K; Campagnaro, Erica; Fuhrman, Jill et al. (2004) EGFR enhances early healing after cutaneous incisional wounding. J Invest Dermatol 123:982-9