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Joanna E. Burdette, Ph.D.Joanna Burdette

Assistant Professor
Department of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacognosy

University of Illinois at Chicago
College of Pharmacy
900 S. Ashland Avenue (M/C 870)
Chicago IL 60607

Office: 3202 MBRB
Office Phone: 312-996-6153
Labs: 3200, 3206, 3210 MBRB
Lab Phone: 312-996-0073
E-mail address: joannab@uic.edu
Website: http://tigger.uic.edu/~joannab

Education:

Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, Research Assistant Professor 2006-2007
Northwestern University, Evanston, IL, Post-Doctoral Fellow 2003-2006
University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago, IL, Ph.D. 1999-2003
Emory University, Atlanta, GA, B.S. 1995-1999

Research Interests:

Project 1.  Studying Ovarian Cancer in Three Dimensions

Epithelial ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecological malignancy among U.S. women. If ovarian cancers are detected at Stage I, 93% of women survive 5 years; however, 67% of women are diagnosed after metastasis when only 31% survive 5 years. Ultimately, the etiology of ovarian cancer is unknown. We have recently developed a 3D organ culture of ovaries and oviducts that might improve the progress towards characterizing early events in ovarian transformation.  Specifically, we are studying how ovulation alters genes that are implicated in ovarian and oviductal tumorigenesis. Ovulation damages oviductal cells by inducing double stranded DNA breaks. FSH and LH activate oncogenic pathways and increase cellular proliferation.

Project 2.  Smad2-dominant negative ovarian inclusion cysts and p53 in ovarian cancer.

Intervention that blocks ovulation reduces the risk for developing ovarian cancer.  Ovarian inclusions cysts are possible precursor lesions of ovarian cancer.  Alternatively, ovarian cancers may arise in fallopian tubal epithelial cells (oviduct in rodents).  We have developed a Smad2 dominant negative (Smad2DN) mouse that develops epithelial-lined ovarian inclusions cysts that resemble the fallopian epithelium (endosalpingiosis).   We are developing a Smad2DN/floxed p53 bitransgenic mouse to provide a model to investigate the link between ovulation and the transition of ovarian inclusion cysts or tubal epithelial cells into cancers.

Project 3. Progesterone MR Contrast Agents

Gadolinium (Gd)-conjugated progestins cross the cell membrane, bind to progesterone receptors, initiate gene transcription, and enhance contrast in mammalian cells using magnetic resonance imaging. The most promising of these agents is termed “ProGlo”. This project in collaboration with the Meade Lab focuses on the application of ProGlo to enhance the imaging of steroid receptor tumors and tissues in vivo.  A critical problem in cancer diagnosis is the determination of molecular markers that influence treatment and prognosis without performing invasive biopsies.  ProGlo is a possible solution to this problem in that it will allow for noninvasive diagnosis, molecular characterization, and treatment determination of progesterone-related cancers.

Project 4. Natural progestins from botanical extracts.

The hypothesis of this proposal is that selective natural progesterone compounds can be identified from botanical extracts.  The presence of progesterone receptor agonists in botanical extracts may provide novel and safer progestins that could be used for a variety of conditions such as hormone replacement therapy, contraception, and prevention of endometriosis and ovarian cancers.

Project 5. Marine actinomycetes metabolites for ovarian cancer.

The coevolution of marine and eukaryotic species in the ocean has produced vast amounts of chemical diversity, some of which may function to destroy neighboring cells.  By using this diversity in an ongoing collaboration with the Murphy Lab, we are identifying lead compounds that are useful for killing ovarian cancer cells specifically with cisplatin resistance.

Selected Publications (from 31 total):

  1. Liu, J., Burdette, J.E., Xu, H., Gu, C., Bhat, K., Booth, N., Constantinou, A.I., van Breemen, R.B., Pezzuto, J.M., Farnsworth, N.R., and Bolton, J.L. (2001) Evaluation of estrogenic activity of plant extracts for the potential treatment of menopausal symptoms. J. Agric. Food Chem. 49: 2472-2479. [abstract]
  2. Burdette, J.E., Liu, J., Lantvit, D., Lim, E., Booth, N., Bhat, K.P., Hedayat, S., van Breemen, R.B., Constantinou, A.I., Pezzuto, J.M., Farnsworth, N.R., and Bolton, J.L. (2002) Trifolium pratense (red clover) exhibits estrogenic effects in vivo in ovariectomized Sprague-Dawley rats. J. Nutr. 132: 27-30. [abstract]
  3. Burdette, J.E., Liu, J., Chen, S.N., Fabricant, D.S., Piersen, C.E., Barker, E.L., Pezzuto, J.M., Mesecar, A., van Breemen, R.B., Farnsworth, N.R., and Bolton, J.L. (2003) Black cohosh acts as a mixed competitive ligand and partial agonist of the serotonin receptor. J. Agric. Food Chem. 51(19): 5661-5670. [abstract]
  4. Burdette, J.E., Jeruss, J.S., Kurley, S.J., Lee, E.J., Woodruff, T.K. (2005) Activin A mediates growth inhibition and cell cycle arrest through Smad activation in human breast cancer cells. Can. Res. 65(17): 7968-7975. [abstract]
  5. Jiyoun L., Zylka, M.J., Anderson, D.J., Burdette, J.E., Woodruff, T.K., Meade, T.J. (2005) A steroid-conjugated magnetic resonance contrast agent for in vivo imaging of cell signaling. J. Am. Chem. Soc. 127(38): 13164-13166. [abstract]
  6. Burdette, J.E., Kurley, S.J., Kilen, S., Mayo, K.E., Woodruff, T.K. (2006) Gonadotropin-induced superovulation drives ovarian surface epithelia proliferation in CD1 mice. Endocrinology. 147(5): 2338-2345. [abstract]
  7. Burdette, J.E., Oliver, R.M., Ulyanov, V., Kilen, S.M., Mayo, K.E., Woodruff, T.K. (2007) Ovarian epithelial inclusion cysts in chronically superovulated CD1 and Smad2-dominant negative mice. Endocrinology. 148(8): 3595-3604.[abstract]
  8. Burdette, J.E., Lee, J., MacRenaris, K., Woodruff, T.K., and Meade, T.J. (2007) Rational design, synthesis, and biological evaluation of progesterone-modified MRI contrast agents. Chem. & Biol. 14(7):824-34. [abstract]
  9. Burdette, J.E., Woodruff, T.K. (2007) Activin and estrogen crosstalk regulates transcription in human breast cancer cells. Endocr. Relat. Cancer 14(3):679-689. [abstract]
  10. Sinkevicius, K.W., Burdette, J.E., Woloszyn, K., Hewitt, S.C., Hamilton, K., Sugg, S.L., Temple, K.A., Wondisford, F.E., Korach, K.S., Woodruff ,T.K., and Greene, G.L.  (2008)  An estrogen receptor-alpha knock-in mutation provides evidence of ligand-independent signaling and allows modulation of ligand-induced pathways in vivo.  Endocrinology 149(6):2970-2979. [abstract]
  11. Burdette, J.E.  (2008) Review: In vivo Imaging of Molecular Targets and their Function in Endocrinology. J. Mol. Endocrinol. 40(6):253-261. [abstract]
  12. Jackson, K.S., Inoue, K., David, D.A., Hilliard, T.S., Burdette J.E. (2008) Three-dimensional ovarian organ culture as a tool to study ovarian surface wound repair. Endocrinology 150(8):3921-6. 
  13. Sinkevicius K.W., Woloszyn K., Laine, M., Jackson, K.S., Greene G.L., Woodruff T.K., Burdette J.E. (2008) Characterization of the ovarian reproductive abnormalities in prepubertal and adult estrogen non-responsive estrogen receptor α knock-in (ENERKI) mice. Steroids July 23, 2009 (Epub).
  14. Toh, M.F. and Burdette, J.E. (2010) Review: Botanical Mechanisms of Action. Fitoterapia 82(1):67-70.
  15. King, S.M., Quartuccio, S., Hilliard, T.S., Inoue, K., and Burdette, J.E. (2011) Alginate hydrogels for three-dimensional culture of ovaries and oviducts.  Journal of Visualized Experiments. Jun 20 (52) pii. 2804 doi: 10.3791/2804.
  16. Hilliard, T.S., Gaisina, I., Muehlbauer, A., Gallick, F., Gaisin, A., Burdette, J.E. (2011) Glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta inhibitors slow ovarian cancer in vitro and in vivo.  Anticancer Drugs (in press).
  17. Sukerkar, P, MacRenaris, K, Meade, T.J. and Burdette, J.E. (2011) A steroid-conjugated magnetic resonance probe enhances contrast in progesterone receptor expressing organs and tumors in vivo. Molecular Pharmaceutics Jul 8, 2011 (Epub).
  18. King, S.M., Burdette, J.E. (2011) Invited Review: Evaluating progenitor cells of ovarian cancer: analysis of current animal models. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Reports (in press).
  19. King, S.M., Hilliard, T.S., Wu, L., Jaffe, R.C., Fazleabas, A.T., Burdette, J.E. (2011) Impact of ovulation on fallopian tube cells: evaluating three major hypothesis connecting ovulation and serous ovarian cancer. Endocrine-Related Cancer (Epub Aug 3, 2011).
  20. Sukerkar, P., MacRenaris, K., Townsend, T., Ahmed, R., Burdette, J.E.* and Meade T.J.* (2011) Click chemistry synthesis and biological evaluation of water-soluble progesterone-conjugated probes for magnetic resonance imaging of hormone related cancers.  Bioconjugate Chemistry (in press). *equal contribution as corresponding author.

Burdette Lab

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