Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine
Sue Heffelfinger, M.D., Ph.D.Research
Associate Professor
Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine
Emory University, Ph.D., 1983; M.D., 1984
Vascular growth and angiogenesis form the focus areas of research in Dr. Heffelfinger’s laboratory. Her primary focus is to understand the signal transduction elements which regulate vascular growth. These studies utilize primary cultures of various endothelial cells and transformed endothelial cell lines in in vitro model systems of angiogenesis. Discovery of "central themes" in intracellular signaling from both growth factor and extracellular matrix -induced vascular growth is a pivotal topic in this work. Currently, protein kinase C isozymes are being examined, and the angiogenic role of each, explored using peptide inhibitor assays. The intracellular localization of these enzymes with respect to cytoskeletal elements are being defined by fluorescent immunocytochemistry and three-dimensional reconstruction of confocal images. Finally, studies in which mutant signaling proteins are produced in stably transfected endothelial cells are currently underway. The second area of interest is the regulation of vascular growth during breast tumorigenesis. Through examining human pathologic specimens, Dr. Heffelfinger’s laboratory has discovered that various pathologic states which often precede formation of invasive breast disease are angiogenic. In addition, even histologically normal tissue from women with invasive breast cancer is angiogenic, when compared to tissue from women without breast cancer. The mechanisms through which this occurs are being explored using various tissue culture model systems. These include normal human breast organ cultures in which angiogenic inducers and inhibitors are examined and primary cultures of various breast cell types which are being tested for their angiogenic capacity. Finally, the molecular changes which occur during breast tumorigenesis are being studied with respect to their angiogenic potential.
Recent Publications
- DeClue JE, Heffelfinger S, Ling B, Li S, Rui W, Vass WC, Viskochil D, Ratner, N. (2000) Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Expression in Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1)-related Tumors and NF1 Animal Models. J Clin Invest, 105:1233-1241, 2000.
- Heffelfinger SC, Gear RB, Taylor K, Schneider J, LaDow K, Miller MA, Warshawsky D. DMBA-induced pre-invasive mammary tumors are angiogenic in vitro and in vivo, Lab Invest. 80:485-92, 2000.
- Heffelfinger SC, Yassin R, Miller MA, Lower EE. Cyclin D1, retinoblastoma, p53, and Her2/neu protein expression in pre-invasive breast pathologies: correlation with vascularity. Pathobiology, 2000, in press.
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