# GROWTH REGULATION OF NORMAL & MALIGNANT KERATINOCYTES

> **NIH NIH R01** · TUFTS UNIVERSITY BOSTON · 1990 · $147,232

## Abstract

Skin cancer is the most common malignancy in man.  Incidence rises
sharply with age and strongly linked to UV radiation exposure.  The
predisposing factors of advanced patient age and known environmental
carcinogens make skin cancer an extremely important model in which to
study the complex cellular and molecular events underlying malignant
transformation generally.

The long term goal of these studies is to critically examine the
biologic responsiveness and genetic regulation of malignant cells
derived from cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) wit normal
epidermal keratinocytes derived from adjacent sun exposed and sun
protected sites of the same individuals and from healthy newborns.
Using sophisticated tissue culture techniques we will examine the effect
of known modulators of keratinocyte growth and differentiation on the
expression of specific genes and their protein products potentially
involved in these processes.  Specifically the effect of epidermal
growth factor, serum, strontium, calcium, and interferon on keratinocyte
proliferative capacity and differentiation will be determined using the
appropriate techniques.  We will subsequently check the possibility of
rearrangement, amplification or mutations of specific proto-oncogenes in
SCC cells, adjacent sun exposed and sun protected areas statistically
predisposed to malignancy and newborn keratinocytes using Southern blot
analysis a well as DNA amplification and sequencing.  We will ultimately
attempt to transfect the C-Ki-ras or other implicated oncogenes(s) into
cultured human keratinocytes to determine whether the oncogene alone or
in combination with UV radiation can transform the cells, and further
test the hypothesis that retinoids can alter biologic responsiveness and
gene expression of cells using the same techniques.   In this way we
hope to construct a model of normal human keratinocyte growth and
differentiation in vitro, top elucidate the mechanisms involved in
development of SCC and to determine whether retinoids exert a protective
effect in this model.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 3120694
- **Project number:** 5R01AG008909-02
- **Recipient organization:** TUFTS UNIVERSITY BOSTON
- **SAM.gov UEI:** C1F5LNUF7W86
- **Principal Investigator:** MINA YAAR
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 1990
- **Award amount:** $147,232
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 1989-07-05 → 1991-07-14

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/3120694

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 3120694, GROWTH REGULATION OF NORMAL & MALIGNANT KERATINOCYTES (5R01AG008909-02). Retrieved via MORVS 2026-10-25 from https://api.morvs.ai/grant/nih/3120694. Licensed CC0.

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