M. Suzanne Stratton, Ph.D.
Research Assistant Professor

Arizona Cancer Center
Prostate Cancer Prevention Program
2504 E Elm Street.
T ucson, AZ 85716

Phone: 520/321-7798
Fax: 520/321-7774
e-mail: msStratton@azcc.arizona.edu

Prostate cancer is the second most frequently diagnosed malignancy in men surpassed in incidence only by nonmelanoma skin cancers. In 2001, approximately 198,000 men were diagnosed with prostate cancer and an estimated 31,000 men died from it. Although there has been significant progress in the past decade that has improved our understanding of the disease, there is still much to be learned about the causes, early detection markers for diagnosis and prognosis determination, treatment and prevention.

Dr. Stratton’s research has focused on the molecular mechanisms of regulation of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in prostate cancer. MMPs are a family of proteins that play a crucial role in the processes of invasion and metastases of solid tumors. She is also the Co-Principal Investigator of the Prostate Cancer Prevention Program at the Arizona Cancer Center. This program is currently running several large clinical studies examining the chemopreventive effects of the trace element, selenium in primary prevention and prevention of progression of prostate cancer. In previous studies conducted at the University of Arizona, selenium showed promise as a chemopreventive agent in several tumor types including prostate cancer.

Another primary interest of this program is to identify novel biomarkers that could serve as diagnostic and prognostic indicators for prostate cancer. Identification of novel molecular markers could contribute to development of diagnostic methods with greater sensitivity and specificity than PSA and physical exam.

Selected Publications

A. J. Duffield-Lillico, E. H. Slate, M. E. Reid, B. W. Turnbull, G. F. Combs, Jr., H. K. Park, E. G. Gross, G. F. Graham, M. S. Stratton, J. R. Marshall, and L. C. Clark. Selenium Supplementation and the Secondary Prevention of Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer in a Randomized Trial. Journal of The National Cancer Institute, In Press.

M. Suzanne Stratton, T. Dilley, F Ahmann. Molecular Mechanism of Selenium In Chemoprevention of Prostate Cancer. Veterinary Sciences Cell Biology. In Press.

M. Suzanne Maliner-Stratton, G. Tim Bowden and Benjamin Greenstein. Testosterone inhibits NFkB dependent IL-1b induced promatrilysin expression, The Prostate 53:1-8 (2002).

M .Suzanne Stratton and David S. Alberts. The Current Role of COX-2 Inhibitors in Chemoprevention. Oncology (Supplement 4). 2002 May 16(5) 37-51.

M .Suzanne Stratton, Janine Einspar and David S. Alberts. Selective COX-2 Inhibitors in Cancer Chemoprevention. Targted Therapies in Oncology. 2002 April 2; 6-11.

M. Suzanne Maliner, Russel D. Klein, Raymond B. Nagle and G. Tim Bowden. IL-1b induced promatrilysin expression is mediated by NFkB dependent synthesis of IL-6. Neoplasia. 2001 Nov-Dec;3(6):509-20.

T.S. Udyakumar, M.S. Stratton, R.B. Nagle and G.T. Bowden. Fibroblast Growth Factor-1 Induced Promatrilysin Expression Through the Activation of Extracellular-regulated Kinases and STAT3. Neoplasia. 2002 Jan-Feb;4(1):60-7.

Russel D. Klein, M. Suzanne Maliner, T.S. Udayakumar, Jeff L. Boyd, Raymond B. Nagle, and G. Tim Bowden. Promatrilysin expression is induced by fibroblast growth factors in the prostatic carcinoma cell line LNCaP but not in normal primary prostate epithelial cells. Prostate. 1999 Dec 1;41(4):215-23.

T.S. Udayakumar, M. Suzanne Maliner, Russel D. Klein, Raymond B. Nagle and G. Tim Bowden. Aberrant expression of fibroblast growth factor receptor-1 in prostate epithelisal cells allows induction of promatrilysin expression by fibroblast growth factors. Internation Journal of Cancer. 2001 Jan 15;91(2):215-223.

M. Suzanne Maliner-Stratton, H. Sirvent, TS Udyakumar, RB Nagle and G. Tim Bowden. Promatrilysin expression in prostate carcinoma cell line co-cultures. Prostate. 2001 August 1;48(3):206-209.