Investigating the Mechanism of Action and the Identification of Breast Carcinogens by Computational Analysis of Female Rodent Carcinogens

摘要

This project investigated the potential that environmental chemicals may be involved in the etiology of breast cancer. We hypothesized that specific features of chemicals can be identified that are significantly associated with female and breast carcinogens and that these features are related to mechanisms of chemical carcinogenesis. Our overall scientific objective was to investigate the hypothesized relationship between environmental chemicals, xenoestrogens, and the development of breast cancer. With the success of the project, we published several papers, have one accepted pending revision but temporarily withdrawn specific to our rat mammary carcinogen model, and we will be preparing others for later publication. We also developed a novel SAR approach that allowed us to address the question of 'why do some carcinogens cause cancer in the breast' which is a very different question than that posed in older SAR studies of 'why do some chemicals cause cancer.' Two graduate students have been awarded MS degrees based (supported) on this project. We have also used this project to obtain an appointment at the University of Louisville's Brown Cancer Center, significant funding for an associated project in conjunction with its NIH-funded Molecular Targets Program, and another BCRP IDEA award studying a novel approach to discover highly specific breast cancer drugs.