Hollingsworth - University of Nebraska

Principal Investigator: Michael Hollingsworth, Ph.D.
Institution: University of Nebraska, Omaha, NE

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The Hollingsworth Tumor Glycomics Laboratory focuses on pancreatic cancer and other diseases of the pancreas, primarily pancreatitis. Using cutting-edge technologies in molecular biology, biochemistry, cell biology, and immunology, this laboratory is developing a comprehensive program to investigate the biology of normal and diseased pancreatic ductal epithelial cells.

The laboratory's goal is to develop unique microarray-based assays to detect auto-antibodies to glycopeptide epitopes of glycoproteins, and to evaluate their usefulness as diagnostic biomarkers for early detection of pancreatic cancer as well as adenocarcinomas derived from other organ sites. They are also examining the expression of tumor-associated glycan structures and mucin core proteins in tissues of patients with early and late stage pancreatic cancer.

Specific aims include: characterize the specificities of auto-antibodies using novel arrays for screening sera ed. from pancreatic cancer patients, and serial samples of sera taken before diagnosis of pancreatic and other carcinomas; document the expression of mucins from early stage pancreatic cancer to invasive and metastatic disease, and correlate underglycosylation with the presence or absence of autoantibody responses; and characterize expression of tumor associated glycans and glycosyltransferases in metastatic pancreatic cancer using a series of cases for which they have primary tumor and multiple metastatic sites obtained by rapid autopsy.

Core facilities at the laboratory include cell culture, mutagenesis, nuclear magnetic resonance, mass spectrometry, histology, animal care, electron microscopy, phosphorimager, monoclonal antibody production, DNA sequencing, oligonucleotide production, capillary electrophoresis, 2-dimensional gel electrophoresis and analysis, microarray production and analysis, microscopy, high throughput screening, and large-scale production of recombinant products.

In the Media:

"Researchers to raise cancer awareness over 140 miles," UNMC Today, Intranet, October 29, 2008.

"Meet Distinguished Scientist Tony Hollingsworth, Ph.D.," UNMC Today, Intranet, February 21, 2007.