Where Your Money Goes

Two pilot grants of $40,000 each were recently awarded by the University of Cincinnati Barrett Cancer Center from the Marlene Harris Ride Cincinnati Breast Cancer Pilot Grant Program. One grant was given to Dr. Sohaib Khan, a Professor in the Department of Cell and Cancer Biology entitled “Development of Novel Antiestrogens for Breast Cancer.”  This grant will provide structural and functional insight into specific regions of the estrogen receptor in the hopes of developing new estrogen receptor based pharmaceuticals for breast cancer treatment.  The second grant was awarded to Dr. Glendon Zinser, Assistant Professor in the Department of Surgery,  entitled “Activation of Vitamin D3 by Breast Adipocytes: Regulating Normal and Transformed Breast Epithelial Cell Growth.”  This grant will test the concept that adipocytes, or fat cells, in the breast contribute to the growth of both normal and tumorigenic breast cells by regulating vitamin D signaling.  Understanding the contribution of adipocytes to vitamin D signaling may provide novel means to target breast cancer growth.

Additional clinical studies for grants are in the works in the amount of $52,000.