Focus Area: Research

Estrogen receptor positive (ER+) breast cancer is the most prevalent subtype of breast cancer in Wisconsin. Importantly, more than 25 percent of ER+ cancers recur at distant sites, or metastasize, even 20 years after initial diagnosis. This makes ER+ breast cancer the primary cause of breast cancer-related deaths in Wisconsin women. The primary goal of this project was to investigate how factors of the tumor microenvironment, such as collagen stiffness and fiber alignment, regulate the spread of cancer cells and promote dormancy. By better understanding ER+ breast cancer recurrence, this project has the potential to improve breast cancer treatment and help reduce future recurrences for patients with ER+ breast cancer.

The incidence of obesity has rapidly increased in Wisconsin and across the United States, and more than 65 percent of adults are overweight. Obese individuals are at increased risk for severe diseases including obesity-induced type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke and cancer. Previous research has shown that low levels of ALAS1, an enzyme involved in making the iron-carrying molecule heme for hemoglobin (a process known as heme biosynthesis), correlates with high body mass index and higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes. For this project, researchers hypothesized that ALAS1 may function as a metabolic sink to control the breakdown of amino acids in brown fat tissue. This project gave researchers a better understanding of the role ALAS1 plays in energy expenditure as it relates to obesity.