Linda  DeGraffenried, Ph.D.

Dr. Linda deGraffenried's lab investigates the mechanisms by which breast and prostate cancer cells become highly aggressive, focusing on the signaling that occurs within the cell to promote survival of the cancer cell even in the face of treatment that should promote death of the cancer cell. 

By understanding the mechanisms by which cells become aggressive, we hope to develop effective interventions that will block these processes. Our lab investigates both pharmacological as well as diet and lifestyle approaches to modulate the cancer process, in the hope of inhibiting both the development of the cancer as well as improving treatment response in the more resistant tumors.

• Publications

  Apte S, Cavazos D, Whelan K and deGraffenried L. A low dietary ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acids may delay progression of prostate cancer. Nutr Cancer. 2013;65(4):556-62. doi: 10.1080/01635581.2013.775316.

  Bowers LW, Cavazos DA, Maximo IXF, Brenner AJ, Hursting SD and deGraffenried LA. Obesity enhances nongenomic estrogen receptor crosstalk with the PI3K/Akt and MAPK pathways to promote in vitro measures of breast cancer progression. Breast Cancer Res. 2013 Jul 23;15(4):R5927. 

  Bowers LW, Maximo IXF, Brenner A, Beeram M, Hursting SD, Price RS,. Jolly C, Tekmal RR, deGraffenried LA. NSAID Use Attenuates Breast Cancer Recurrence in Overweight and Obese Women: Role of Prostaglandin-Aromatase Interactions. Cancer Res. 2014 Aug 15;74(16):4446-57. doi: 10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-13-3603

  Cavazos DA, deGraffenried MJ, Whelan K, Bowers LW, Price RS, Apte S and deGraffenried LA. Obesity Promotes Aerobic Glycolysis in Prostate Cancer Cells. Nutr Cancer, 2014 DOI: 10.1080/01635581.2014.951738

  De Angulo A, Faris R, Jolly C, Daniel B, deGraffenried L. Age-related Increase in IL-17 Activates Pro-inflammatory Signaling in Prostate Cells, Prostate. 2015 Apr 1;75(5):449-62. doi: 10.1002/pros.22931. Epub 2015 Jan 5.

  Bowers LW, Brenner AJ, Hursting SD, Tekmal RR, deGraffenried LA. Obesity-associated systemic interleukin-6 promotes pre-adipocyte aromatase expression via increased breast cancer cell prostaglandin E2 production. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2014 Dec 5. [Epub ahead of print]

  Bowers LW and deGraffenried LA. Targeting the COX-2 Pathway to Improve Therapeutic Response in the Obese Breast Cancer Patient Population. Current Pharmacology Reports. 2015. DOI: 10.1007/s40495-015-0041-y

  Ford N, Rossi E Brown P; Yang P, Bowers L, Hidaka B, Kimler B, Carlson S, Ishireqi Degraffenried LA, Fabian C, Hursting S. Omega-3-Acid Ethyl Esters Block the Protumorigenic Effects of Obesity in Mouse Models of Postmenopausal Basal-Like and Claudin Low Breast Cancer. Cancer Prev Res (Phila). 2015 Jun 22. pii: canprevres.0018.2015.