Steve Frisch, PhD,

Along with: Ben Cieply, Sun Park, and Sanjeev Kumar

Frisch lab publication

A collaborative effort between students in the laboratory of Dr. Steve Frisch has resulted in a recent publication in Molecular and Cellular Biology titled, "A pathway for the control of anoikis-sensitivity by E-cadherin and EMT." Steve is a Professor in the Department of Biochemistry and a member of the Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center. He has a longstanding interest in the control of anoikis, which is a programmed cell death that is triggered when cells lose adhesion. Projects in his lab are designed to define molecular mechanisms that impact the sensitivity of cells to anoikis during cancer progression. Sanjeev Kumar (Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Graduate Program), Sun Park (Cancer Cell Biology Graduate Program) and Ben Cieply (Cancer Cell Biology Graduate Program) each contributed to the study to examine molecular mechanisms controlling differential sensitivity of epithelial and mesenchymal cells to anoikis. They found that subcellular localization of NRAGE was a critical event. In epithelial cells, NRAGE was cytosolic via tethering to ankyrin-G and E-cadherin. During progression of cancer, cells can lose their epithelial properties and gain mesenchymal properties. Coincident with these changes, ankyrin-G and E-cadherin are down regulated and NRAGE localizes to the nucleus. In the nucleus, NRAGE suppresses expression of p14ARF, resulting in resistance to anoikis. Congratulations Steve...!!

Steve Frisch, PhD

5 Years of Service

Steve Frisch was recently recognized for 5 years service to the University. Steve was recruited from the Burnham Institute to the Mary Babb Randolph Cancer Center in 2004. He is Professor of Biochemistry and the leader of the Program in Molecular Mechanisms of EMT and Metastasis in the Cancer Center. Steve's major research interest is the control of cell death by cell adhesion in normal cells and how regulation is altered during progression to malignancy. In 2008, Steve was the recipient of the Dean's Excellence Award in Research. Steve also contributes to the teaching mission of the department, primarily participating in lectures in graduate level classes. Steve serves on the editorial boards of Molecular and Cellular Biology and Cancer Research. Congratulations Steve...!!