|
Professor of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology; Senior Scientist, James Graham Brown Cancer Center
Research ProgramMolecular Targets
Research Interests
Dr. Wittliff’s team explores the roles of hormones and their mimics in human cancer, exploiting proteomics and genomics. He was among the first to prove appearance of estrogen receptors in breast cancer predicted a patient’s response to hormone therapy. This finding led to collaborations with the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast Project, establishing Tamoxifen as adjuvant therapy for breast cancer and use of receptors as tissue biomarkers of a patient’s prognosis and response. Wittiff’s discovery of receptor polymorphisms in cancer provided evidence of another receptor isoform, confirmed recently as Er-beta. With NEN/DuPont, Dr.Wittliff developed the original FDA-approved kits for assessing receptors in biopsies, celebrated as a major contribution to laboratory medicine. His laboratory in the Brown Cancer Center was designated the National Reference Facility for performing QA surveys of receptor testing for historic clinical trials in North America. Focusing expertise on other molecules exhibiting estrogen mimicry, Dr. Wittliff and IA, Inc., patented receptor-based biosensors detecting endocrine-disrupting compounds in the environment.
In recognition of contributions to medicine, the University of Innsbruck, Austria, awarded him Doctor of Medicine honoris causa. He has received the Award for Outstanding Contributions to Clinical Chemistry in a Selected Area of Research from the American Association for Clinical Chemistry and was given the Distinguished Scientist’s Award by the Clinical Ligand Assay Society. In 2004, the American Cancer Society recognized his lifetime achievements with the Goldsmith Research Excellence Award. Recently, Dr. Wittliff served as Visiting Industry Professor at Arcturus Applied Genomics, where research on the genomics of human breast cancer using laser capture microdissection revealed clinically relevant molecular signatures. These latest discoveries and his development of a unique Tumor Marker Database have resulted in the filing of numerous new patents for the University of Louisville and the licensing of his technologies.
EducationB.A., The University of Texas at Austin, Chemistry, 1961
M.S., Louisiana State University School of Medicine, Biochemistry, 1963
Ph.D., The University of Texas at Austin, Molecular Biology, 1967
Postdoc, USPHS National Institutes of Arthritis, Metabolic Diseases & Oak Ridge National Lab, Molecular Biology, 1967-1969
Research and Professional Experience
1961
Summer Fellow, Los Angeles County General Hospital
1961
U.S. Public Health Service Cardiovascular Summer Fellow, Tulane University School of Medicine
1963-1965
National Defense Educational Act Fellow in Molecular Biology, U.S. Public Health Service, Summer Trainee, University of Texas Cell Research Institute
1965-1967
University Fellow, University of Texas Cell Research Institute
1967-1969
Postdoctoral Fellow, USPHS/NIAMD and Oak Ridge National Lab, TN
1969-1974
Assistant Professor Biochemistry; Member of Division of Oncology, University of Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry
1974-1976
Associate Professor Biochemistry; Head, Section on Endocrinology Biochemistry, University of Rochester Cancer Center, University. Rochester School of Medicine & Dentistry
1976-1983
Chairman, Department of Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of Louisville School of Medicine
1976-present
Professor Biochemistry & Molecular Biology, University of Louisville School of Medicine
Selected Awards and Professional Honors
Member, American Society of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology; Member, American Association of Cancer Research
Member, The Endocrine Society
Member, American Association of Clinical Chemistry
Member, National Academy of Clinical Biochemistry
1974
Sigma Xi Visiting Professor, University of Dusseldorf, West Germany
1976
Visiting Professor, University of Innsbruck, Austria
1979
Phi Delta Epsilon Award Honoring Research & Teaching
1979
Visiting Professor, Louisiana State University
1982
Malcolm Weller Visiting Professor, South African Association of Chemical Pathology
1985
Grannis Award, National Academy of Clinical Biochemistry
1988
Clinical Ligand Assay Society National Award
1989-2000
Outstanding Speaker American Association of Clinical Chemistry
1992
Guest Lecturer to President's Cancer Panel
1992-1997
Inaugural Guest Professor, Institute of Applied Microbiology, Vienna, Austria
1996-1997
Lifetime President, Clinical Ligand Assay Society
1997
Phi Delta Epsilon Medical Fraternity Award for Distinguished Educational & Research Contribution in the Field of Medicine
2001
Doctor of Medicine honoris causa, Leopold-Franzens-Universität Innsbruck, Austria
2001
Visiting Industry Professor, Arcturus Applied Genomics, California
2001
American Association of Clinical Chemistry Award for Outstanding Contributions to Clinical Chemistry in a Selected Area of Research
PublicationsWittliff JL, Kunitake ST, Chu SS, Travis JC. Applications of laser capture microdissection in genomics and proteomics. J Clin Ligand Assay 23:66-73, 2000
Tecimer C, Doering DL, Goldsmith LJ, Meyer JS, Abdulhay G, Wittliff JL. Clinical relevance of urokinase-type plasminogen activator, its receptor and inhibitor type 1 in ovarian cancer. Int J Gynecol Cancer 10:372-381, 2000
Fisher B, Dignam J, Tan-Chiu E, Anderson S, Fisher E R, Wittliff JL, Wolmark N. Prognosis and treatment of patients with breast tumors of one centimeter or less and negative axillary lymph nodes. J Natl Cancer Inst 93:112-120, 2001
Tecimer C, Doering, DL, Goldsmith LJ, Meyer JS, Abdulhay G, Wittliff JL. Clinical relevance of urokinase-type plasminogen activator, its receptor, and its inhibitor type 1 in endometrial cancer. Gynecol Oncol 80:48-55, 2001
Garber EAE, Erb JL, Downward JG, Priuska EM, Wittliff JL, Feng W, Magner J, Larsen GL. Biosensor, ELISA, and frog embryo teratogenesis assay: xenopus (FETAX) analysis of water associated with frog malformation in Minnesota. Proc SPIE 4206:147-158, 2001
Wittliff JL, Erlander MG. Laser capture microdissection and its applications in genomics and proteomics. Methods Enzymol 356:12-25, 2002
Leduc AM, Trent JO, Wittliff JL, Bramlett KS, Briggs SL, Chirgadze NY, Wang Y, Burris TP, Spatola AF. Helix stabilized cyclic peptides as selective inhibitors of steroid receptor-coactivator interactions. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 100(20):11273-11278, 2003
Galande AK, Bramlett KS, Burris TP, Wittliff JL, Spatola AF. Thioether side chain cyclization for helical peptide formation: inhibitors of estrogen receptor-coactivator interactions. J Pept Res 63(3):297-302, 2004
Galande AK, Bramlett KS, Trent JO, Burris TP, Wittliff JL, Spatola AF. Potent inhibitors of LXXLL-based protein-protein interactions. Chembiochem 6(11):1991-8, 2005
Kerr A 2nd, Eliason JF, Wittliff JL. Steroid receptor and growth factor receptor expression in human nonsmall cell lung cancers using cells procured by laser-capture microdissection. Adv Exp Med Biol 617:377-84, 2008
Wittliff JL, Kruer TL, Andres SA, Smolenkova I. Molecular signatures of estrogen receptor-associated genes in breast cancer predict clinical outcome. Adv Exp Med Biol.617:349-57, 2008
Wittliff JL, Andres SA, Kruer TL, Kerr DA 2nd, Smolenkova IA, Erb JL. Biosensors for detecting estrogen-like molecules and protein biomarkers. Adv Exp Med Biol 614:315-22, 2008
Andres SA, Kerr DA 2nd, Bumpus SB, Kruer TL, Thieman JW, Smolenkova IA, Wittliff JL. A three-tiered approach for calibration of a biosensor to detect estrogen mimics. Adv Exp Med Biol 614:305-13, 2008
Contact InfoMedical Research Tower
Preston Street
Louisville, KY 40202
Phone: (502) 852-5216
|
|