Regina M. Santella, PhD

  • Professor Emerita of Environmental Health Sciences
  • Special Research Scientist in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences
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Overview

Dr. Regina Santella's research has involved the use of biomarkers for the detection of human exposure to environmental and occupational carcinogens in molecular epidemiology studies to identify causative factors, susceptible populations, and preventive interventions. Her work has allowed the determination of exposure to carcinogens by the measurement of their binding to DNA with highly specific and sensitive immunoassays using monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies that her laboratory has developed. These studies have demonstrated higher levels of DNA damage in those with environmental or occupational exposures and in subjects with breast, lung, and liver cancer compared to controls. Studies on the role of genetic susceptibility in cancer risk involved both genotyping and phenotyping methods. DNA repair capacity was found to be a major risk factor for breast cancer development. Other studies provided information on the role of environmental/lifestyle factors on epigenetic changes in DNA methylation and microRNA expression, how they impact cancer risk as well as whether epigenetic changes can be used for early diagnosis of cancer. The development of assays using blood or urine that can identify those at high risk for the development of cancer should lead to better surveillance as well as potential chemoprevention. The markers developed to date include carcinogen-DNA adducts, microRNAs and DNA methylation alterations in white blood cells.

Academic Appointments

  • Professor Emerita of Environmental Health Sciences
  • Special Research Scientist in the Department of Environmental Health Sciences

Administrative Titles

  • Vice Chair, EHS Faculty Affairs

Credentials & Experience

Education & Training

  • BS, 1969 Brooklyn College
  • MS, 1971 Organic Chemistry, University of Massachusetts at Amherst
  • PhD, 1976 Biochemistry, City University of New York (CUNY) Graduate Center

Committees, Societies, Councils

Member, American Association for Cancer Research

Member, American Chemical Society

Member, Sigma Xi

Honors & Awards

Chair, Molecular Epidemiology Group, American Association for Cancer Research, 2001-2002

Senior Editor, Cancer Research, 2003-2006

Avon Foundation-AACR Scholar Host for Avon Foundation-AACR International Scholar Awards Breast Cancer Research, 2006-2007

Dean’s Mentoring Award, 2014

Research

Understanding environmental and genetic factors influencing cancer risk will lead to prevention.

Research Interests

  • Chronic disease
  • Environmental Health
  • Genetics

Selected Publications

Everson RB, Randerath E, Santella RM, Cefalo RC, Avitts TA, and Randerath K.Detection of smoking related covalent DNA adducts in human placenta, Science, 231, 54-57, 1986.

Perera F, Mayer J, Jaretzki A, Hearne S, Brenner D, Young TL, Fischman H, Grimes M, Grantham S, Tang MX, Tsai W-Y, Santella RM.Comparison of DNA adducts and sister chromatid exchange in lung cancer cases and controls, Cancer Res., 49, 4446-4451, 1989

Perera FP, Hemminki K, Grzybowska E, Motykiewicz G, Michalska J, Santella RM, Young TL, Dickey, C, Brandt-Rauf P, DeVivo I, Blaner W, Tsai WY, Chorazy M.Molecular damage from environmental pollution in Poland.Nature 360, 256-158, 1992

Gammon MD, Sagiv SK, Eng SM, Shantakumar S., Gaudet MM, Teitelbaum SL, Britton JA, Terry MB, Wang LW,Qiao Q., Stellman SD, Beyea J, Hatch M, Kabat GC, Wolff MS, Levin B, Neugut AI, and Santella RM. Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)-DNA adducts and breast cancer: a pooled analysis. Arch. Environ. Health 59, 640-649, 2004. PMC4277204

Kennedy, D.O., Agrawal, M., Shen, J., Terry, M.B., Zhang, F.F., Senie, R.T., Motykiewicz, G., and Santella, R.M. DNA repair capacity of lymphoblastoid cell lines from sisters discordant for breast cancer. Journal of the National Cancer Institute 97, 127-132, 2005.

Kennedy, D.O., Agrawal, M., Shen, J., Terry, M.B., Zhang, F.F., Senie, R.T., Motykiewicz, G., and Santella, R.M. DNA repair capacity of lymphoblastoid cell lines from sisters discordant for breast cancer Journal of the National Cancer Institute 97 127-132 2005

Rossner P, Gammon MD, Terry MB, Agrawal M, Zhang FF, Teitelbaum SL, Eng SM, Gaudet MM,Neugut AI, and Santella RM. Relationship between urinary 15-F2t-isoprostane and 8-oxodeoxyguanosine levels and breast cancer risk.Cancer Epi. Biomarkers & Prevention 15, 639-44, 2006

Rossner, P., Gammon, M.D., Terry, M.B., Agrawal, M., Zhang, F.F., Teitelbaum, S.L., Eng, S.M., Gaudet, M.M., Neugut, A. I., and Santella, R.M. Relationship between urinary 15-F2t-isoprostane and 8-oxodeoxyguanosine levels and breast cancer risk Cancer Epi. Biomarkers & Prevention 15 639-44 2006

Zhang YJ, Wu H-C, Shen J, Ahsan H, Tsai WY, Yang HI, Wang LY, Chen SY, Chen CJ, and Santella RM. Predicting hepatocellular carcinoma by detection of aberrant promoter methylation in serum DNA. Clinical Cancer Research 13, 2378-2384, 2007

Zhang, Y-J., Wu, H-C., Shen, J., Ahsan, H., Tsai, W.Y., Yang, H.I., Wang, L.Y., Chen, S.Y., Chen, C.J. and Santella, R.M. Predicting hepatocellular carcinoma by detection of aberrant promoter methylation in serum DNA. Clinical Cancer Research 13 2378-2384 2007

Machella, N., Terry, M.B., Zipprich, J., Gurvich, I., Liao, Y., Senie, R.T., Kennedy, D.O. and Santella, R.M. Double strand breaks repair in lymphoblastoid cell lines from sisters discordant for breast cancer. Carcinogenesis 29, 1367-1372, 2008; PMC2899852

Wu HC, Wang Q, Yang HI, Ahsan H, Tsai WY, Wang LY, Chen SY, Chen CJ, and Santella RM. Aflatoxin B1 exposure, hepatitis B virus infection and hepatocellular carcinoma in Taiwan. Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention 18, 846-853, 2009; PMC3535829

Wu HC, Wang Q, Yang HI, Tsai WY, Chen CJ, . Global DNA methylation levels in white blood cells as a biomarker for hepatocellular carcinoma risk: a nested case-control study Carcinogenesis. 33, 1340-1345, 2012 PMC3499052

Shen J, Wang S, Zhang YJ, Kappil M, Wu HC, Kibriya MG, Wang Q, Jasmine F, Ahsan H, Lee PH, Yu MW, Chen CJ, Santella RM Genome-wide DNA methylation profiles in hepatocellular carcinoma Hepatology 55 1799-1808 2012

Shen J, LeFave C, Sirosh I, Siegel AB, Tycko B, Santella RM. Integrative epigenomic and genomic filtering for methylation markers in hepatocellular carcinomas. BMC Med Genomics. 2015 Jun 10;8(1):28. doi: 10.1186/s12920-015-0105-1. PMCID:PMC4460673

Wu HC, Do C, Andrulis IL, John EM, Daly MB, Buys SS, Chung WK, Knight JA, Bradbury AR, Keegan THM, Schwartz L, Krupska I, Miller RL, Santella RM, Tycko B, Terry MB. Breast Cancer Family History and Allele-Specific DNA Methylation in the Legacy Girls Study. Epigenetics. 2018 Feb 13:1-23. doi: 10.1080/15592294.2018.1435243. [Epub ahead of print] PMID:29436922

Wu HC, Shen J, Siegel A, Santella RM. Environmental exposure and clinical correlates of hepatocellular carcinoma in New York City: a case only study. Cancer Causes Control. 2022 Jan;33(1):153-159. doi: 10.1007/s10552-021-01494-2. Epub 2021 Sep 8. PMID: 34498221; PMCID: PMC8786455.

Yoon AJ, Santella RM, Wang S, Kutler DI, Carvajal RD, Philipone E, Wang T, Peters SM, Stewart CR, Momen-Heravi F, Troob S, Levin M, AkhavanAghdam Z, Shackelford AJ, Canterbury CR, Shimonosono M, Hernandez BY, McDowell BD, Nakagawa H. MicroRNA-based cancer mortality risk scoring system and hTERT expression in early-stage oral squamous cell carcinoma. J Oncol 2021. doi.org/10.1155/2020/8292453.

John EM, Keegan TH, Terry MB, Koo J, Ingles SA, Nguyen JT, Thomsen C, Santella RM, Nguyen K, Yan B. Urinary biomarkers of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and timing of pubertal development: The California PAH Study. Epidemiology. 2022 Jul 26. doi: 10.1097/EDE.0000000000001535. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 35895514.

Bacon B, Repin M, Shuryak I, Wu HC, Santella RM, Terry MB, Brenner DJ, Turner HC. High-throughput measurement of double strand break global repair phenotype in peripheral blood mononuclear cells after long-term cryopreservation. Cytometry A. 2023 Jul;103(7):575-583. doi: 10.1002/cyto.a.24725. Epub 2023 Mar 29. PMID: 36823754.

For a complete list of publications, please visit PubMed.gov