SITE SEARCH

Associate Professor, Pathology and Immunology Director, Tissue Procurement and Multiplexed Gene Analysis Laboratories 1029 CSRB Office: (314) 454-7919 Lab: (314) 454-7053 E-mail: watsonm@wustl.edu Pub Med Search

Research

Our laboratory is interested in characterizing sets of human genes whose expression pattern may be used to design new diagnostic tests and treatment strategies for solid tumors. We are using high-density oligonucleotide arrays (GeneChips) to perform gene expression profiling on biopsy specimens from patients with breast, pancreatic, prostate, lung, and other carcinomas. Patterns of gene expression are correlated with traditional histopathology data and clinical outcomes to identify diagnostic signatures. In a related project, we are using Laser Capture Microdissection and transcript amplification to examine gene expression profiles in subsets of tumor cells (e.g. carcinoma in situ versus invasive cancer) within a single, histologically complex tumor specimen. The goal of this work is to elucidate the transcriptional regulatory networks involved in the malignant progression of epithelial tumors such as breast and prostate cancer. A second research interest involves further characterization of a family of genes located on chromosome 11q13 and associated with human breast cancer. Mammaglobin and mammaglobin B, two novel genes isolated in our laboratory, as well as lipophilin A, lipophilin B, and CC10 all encode small, secreted epithelial proteins that may form combinatorial heteromers. Mammaglobin gene expression is restricted to the human mammary epithelium. More significantly, mammaglobin is expressed at elevated levels in almost 80% of human breast tumors. Understanding the function of mammaglobin and these other homologous proteins as well as the mechanisms controlling their tissue-specific expression will provide new insights into breast development and tumorigenesis. Furthermore, if over-expression of mammaglobin is contributory to breast cancer progression, results from these studies may identify therapeutic targets for modulating aberrant mammaglobin gene expression or protein function.

Service to the University
	2005 - Present	Director, Laboratory for Clinical Genomics
	2000 - Present	Director, American College of Surgeons Cooperative Oncology Group (ACOSOG) Central Specimen Bank
	1999 - Present	Director, Siteman Cancer Center Multiplexed Gene Analysis (GeneChip) Core Facility
	1997 - Present	Director, Siteman Cancer Center Tissue Procurement Core Facility

DBBS Graduate Program Affiliation
	Molecular Genetics Program

Diagnostic Expertise
	Molecular Pathology
	Medical Genomics

Clinical Interest
	Laboratory and Genomic Medicine - Informatics & Statistics
	Laboratory and Genomic Medicine - DNA Diagnostics

Selected Publications
	Grigsby PW, Watson M, Powell MA, Zhang Z, Rader JS.. Gene expression patterns in advanced human cervical cancer. Int J Gynecol Cancer. 16:562-567, 2006 Abstract
	Sharma MK, Watson MA, Lyman M, Perry A, Aldape KD, Deak F, Gutmann DH. Matrilin-2 expression distinguishes clinically relevant subsets of pilocytic astrocytoma.. Neurology. 66:127-130, 2006 Abstract
	Potti A, Mukherjee S, Petersen R, Dressma, HK, Bild A, Koontz J, Kratzke R, Watson MA, Kelley M, Gin. A genomic strategy to refine prognosis in early-stage non-small-cell lung cancer. N Engl J Med. 355:570-580, 2006 Abstract
	Luzzi, VI, Holtschlag, V, Watson, MA. Gene expression profiling of primary tumor cell populations using laser capture microdissection, RNA transcript amplification, and GeneChip microarrays. Methods Mol Biol. 293:187-207., 2005 Abstract
	Sharma MK, Zehnbauer BA, Watson MA, Gutmann DH. RAS pathway activation and an oncogenic RAS mutation in sporadic pilocytic astrocytoma.. Neurology. 65:1335-1336, 2005 Abstract
	Yu J, Shannon, WD, Watson MA, McLeod, H. Gene expression profiling of the irinotecan pathway in colorectal cancer.. Clin Cancer Res. 11: 2053-2062, 2005 Abstract
	Bernstein JL, Godbold JH, Raptis G, Watson MA, Levinson B, Aaronson SA, Fleming TP. Identification of mammaglobin as a novel serum marker for breast cancer. Clin Cancer Res. 11:6528-6535., 2005 Abstract
	Lusis EA, Watson MA, Chicoine MR, Lyma, M, Roerig P, Reifenberger G, Gutmann DH, Perry A. Integrative genomic analysis identifies NDRG2 as a candidate tumor suppressor gene frequently inactivated in clinically aggressive meningioma. Cancer Res. 65:7121-7126, 2005 Abstract
	Kidd EA, Yu J, Li X, Shannon WD, Watson, MA, McLeod HL. Variance in the expression of 5-Fluorouracil pathway genes in colorectal cancer. Clin Cancer Res. 11: 2612-2619, 2005 Abstract
	Hesselbrock DR, Kurpios N, Hassell, JA, Watson, MA, Fleming, TP. PEA3, AP-1, and a Unique Repetitive Sequence all are Involved in Transcriptional Regulation of the Breast Cancer-Associated Gene, Mammaglobin. Breast Cancer Res. and Treat. 89: 289-296., 2005 Abstract
	Chen ZM, Crone KG, Watson MA, Pfeifer JD, Wang HL. Identification of a unique gene expression signature that differentiates hepatocellular adenoma from well-differentiated hepatocellular carcinoma. J Surg Pathol. 29:1600-1608, 2005 Abstract

Past Trainees Assistant Professors Alison Woodworth, PhD In Trainings Angela Ferguson, PhD