skip to the content

Our Experts

Physician Profile

412-692-6795 Phone
412-692-5228 Fax

Edward V. Prochownik, MD, PhD

Job Title Director of Oncology Research, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh
Job Title Professor of Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine
Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology and Blood and Marrow Transplantation
4401 Penn Avenue, Suite Floor 9
Pittsburgh, PA 15224
412-692-6795 Phone
412-692-5228 Fax
Email procev@chp.edu
Patient Appointment Information

Education and Training

Medical School:

1978 The University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, Chicago, Ill.
 

Residency:

1980 Children's Hospital of Boston, Boston, Mass.
 

Fellowship:

1983 Children's Hospital of Boston Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, Mass.
 

Memberships

  • American Pediatric Society
  • American Society for Clinical Investigation
  • American Society of Hematology
  • American Society for Microbiology
  • Society for Pediatric Research

Board Certifications

  • American Board of Pediatrics
  • Pediatric Hematology/Oncology

Publications

  • Yap JL, Wang H, Hu A, Chauhan J, Jung KY, Gharavi RB, Prochownik EV, Fletcher S. Pharmacophore identification of c-Myc inhibitor 10074-G5. Bioorg Med Chem Lett. 2013 Jan 1;23(1):370-4.
  • Kim SY, Rhee JG, Song X, Prochownik EV, Spitz DR, Lee YJ. Breast cancer stem cell-like cells are more sensitive to ionizing radiation than non-stem cells: role of ATM. PLoS One. 2012;7(11):e50423.
  • Zhang F, Rothermund K, Gangadharan SB, Pommier Y, Prochownik EV, Lazo JS. Phenotypic screening reveals topoisomerase I as a breast cancer stem cell therapeutic target. Oncotarget. 2012 Sep;3(9):998-1010.

Research Interests

Current research in our laboratory focuses upon the function and pharmacologic regulation of the c-Myc oncoprotein. The CMYC gene is de-regulated in a significant number of human cancers and its over-expression in various animal models leads to the development of a variety of malignancies. The de-regulated expression of c-Myc also leads to abnormalities of cell growth, survival, differentiation and chromosomal stability; several of these effects were first described in our laboratory. The c-Myc protein is a transcription factor that regulates the expression of a large number of downstream target genes. We have used DNA microarrays to identify many of these genes and have recently focused on how several of them mediate the downstream effects of c-Myc on transformation and other properties. In a separate set of studies, we have developed a number of low molecular weight, drug-like compounds that can inhibit the transcriptional activity of c-Myc and are potentially useful as novel chemotherapeutic agents. Current collaborative work is focused on using techniques such as x-ray crystallography, NMR spectroscopy, and in vitro mutagenesis to determine the structures of these compounds in association with c-Myc. Such structures should aid in the rational design of even more effective compounds.

Active Research Projects / Grants

  • Primary Investigator, Evaluation of molecular inhibitors of the c-myc oncoprotein
  • Primary Investigator, Regulation of and by the Myc oncoprotein
Last Update
January 21, 2013
top
  • Increase/Decrease Text Size
  • Print This Page
top
Last Update
January 21, 2013
top