Date
5-2009
Advisor
Dorothy Teegarden
Department
Foods and Nutrition
Major
Dietetics
Keywords
cancer, vascularization, sun exposure, hypoxia, tumor
Abstract
There is evidence that the active form of vitamin D, 1,25 dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)2D), may lead to reduced tumor formation by inhibiting vascularization, and thus feeding the tumor (1). Vascularization is controlled in part by the release of proteins which can be stimulated by low oxygen (hypoxia) to increase the transcriptional activity of hypoxia inducible factor 1α (HIF-1α) (2). HIF-1α controls the level of an important protein, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which stimulates vascularization (2). The level of HIF-1α protein level is regulated both transcriptionally and by protein stability through the activity of prolyl hydroxylase (PHD) (2). The purpose of this study is to determine if 1,25(OH)2D alters the mRNA expression of HIF-1α in untransformed (normal) cells and cells that contain the ErbB2 oncogene, a mutated gene commonly found in cancers.
Recommended Citation
Harris, Jessica, "The Effects of 1.25-dihydroxyvitamin D on HIF-1a Expression In Breast Epithelial Cells Containing the ErbB2 Oncogene" (2009). CFS Honors Program Undergraduate Theses. 13.
https://docs.lib.purdue.edu/cfstheses/13