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Darrel Hunt, M.D., Ph.D.
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Darrel Hunt, M.D., Ph.D., matriculated into the Interdisciplinary Program in Biomedical Sciences in the College of Medicine, at the University of Florida, in advanced standing after completing two out of five years of his general surgery residency in the Department of Surgery. Dr. Hunt's primary research mentor was William G. Cance, M.D. His research was focused on a better understanding of how FAK and VEGFR-3 interact in breast cancer cells to regulate cell proliferation and apoptosis. In his studies, Dr. Hunt has demonstrated that overexpression of VEGFR-3 in breast cancer cells promotes cell proliferation and protects them from apoptosis in vitro and increase cells tumorogenecity in vivo in mice tumor model. His overall hypothesis was that novel, previously undescribed FAK interactions with the VEGFR-3 receptor regulate breast cancer cell proliferation, motility, invasion and resistance to apoptosis and interference with this interaction with small molecules can cause tumor cell death and can be used as new targeted tumor therapy approach. Dr. Hunt successfully defended his Ph.D. thesis titled “The
Regulation of Breast Cancer Cell Growth and Survival by the
Interaction of Focal Adhesion Kinase and Vascular Endothelial Growth
Factor Receptor-3” on May 30th 2008. Ray Bierstedt Memorial Award. University of Florida, Department of Surgery, 2003 Publications: |
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