Topics at a glance: UTDB researchers detect breast cancer markers in saliva   … Chen successfully defends dissertation at SHIS  … Dean to host Town Hall Meeting Thursday at DB  … UT Wellness Fair  … UTDB featured in UTHSC online magazine HealthLeader  … SAVE THE DATE  … Correction

UTDB researchers detect breast cancer markers in saliva
Results published in scientific journal

UT Dental Branch Diagnostic Sciences Professor Charles Streckfus, D.D.S., is lead author in a study published Jan. 10 in the journal Cancer Investigation identifying specific protein markers in saliva that indicate the presence of breast cancer and also can distinguish malignant from benign breast tumors.

Co-authors on the study include Lenora Bigler, Ph.D. of the UT Dental Branch and William Dubinsky, Ph.D., professor of integrative biology and pharmacology at UT Medical School, as well as Senior Research Assistant Daniel Arreola and Research Coordinator Cynthia Edwards, both of the Dental Branch; and Senior Research Associate Otilia Mayorga-Wark of the Medical School.

Speaking to a mostly lay audience in a

Lead researcher Charles Streckfus, D.D.S., discusses the study’s findings with
Betsy Frantz of the Office of Institutional Advancement, and with Sally Harvin (left),
a member of the UT Development Board.

presentation earlier this month, Streckfus used an analogy to explain the term “biomarker.” “When you get your blood tested and your doctor tells you your sugar is high, that’s a biomarker for diabetes,” he said. “What’s new is that now we’re focused on specific proteins as markers for breast cancer.”

Each person has a unique protein profile in saliva, but in the presence of disease, that profile is altered in ways that point to specific changes in the body, he said.

“As you increase the size of the tumor, you get a different pattern. When the cancer reaches the lymph nodes, it changes the pattern. When you have full-blown metastasis, that changes the pattern even more,” Streckfus said.

Additional testing is under way to make sure the study’s findings hold up with larger numbers of patients, but if all goes well, the saliva test could be available to the public in less than five years. Patents are secured or pending, and researchers at the University of Texas at Austin are developing a hand-held device that can read the saliva samples quickly and transmit the results electronically.

Streckfus is currently involved in more than 20 collaborations with other researchers, looking at saliva to diagnose cancer of the prostate, ovaries, cervix, endometrium, head and neck, and diseases of the gastrointestinal tract, including Crohn’s and irritable bowel syndrome. For a more detailed report on the study, visit the UT Health Science Center at Houston Web site.

Chen successfully defends dissertation at SHIS

Jung-Wei “Anna” Chen, D.D.S., Ph.D., interim program director of the Pediatric Dentistry Postgraduate Program at the UT Dental Branch, successfully defended her doctoral dissertation, “Developing a Method for Identifying and Reducing Functional Discrepancies of Information Systems,” at the UT School of Health Information Sciences (SHIS) in December 2007 to earn a Ph.D. in health informatics.

A 1996 graduate of Taipei Medical University School of Dentistry in Taiwan, Chen practiced dentistry there for two years before coming to the U.S., where she earned a certificate in pediatric dentistry and a Master of Science degree in oral biology at the University of Maryland at Baltimore in 2000. She also received a master's degree in health informatics from UT SHIS in 2002. She is a diplomate and fellow of the American Academy of Pediatric Dentistry.

Jung-Wei “Anna” Chen, D.D.S., Ph.D., successfully defended her doctoral dissertation in December at the UT School of Health Information Sciences.

Dental Prom Royalty

Dental Prom 2007, held Thursday, Dec. 13 at the Trevisio Restaurant, was a big success, with nearly 200 students, faculty and “significant others” in attendance. Prom King Paymon Pahlavan is shown with Prom Queen Cristina Moino. They are both fourth-year students.

Dean to host Town Hall Meeting Thursday at DB

Faculty and staff of the Dental Branch are invited to attend a Town Hall Meeting hosted by Dean Catherine M. Flaitz, D.D.S. Bring your lunch and join us at noon Thursday, Jan. 17 in Room 132.

UT Wellness Fair

The Fourth Annual Wellness Fair, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 30, IMM Sarofim Research Building, offers students, faculty and staff (bring ID) access to a variety of health-related activities and information. The event, sponsored by UT Counseling & Work Life Services and Auxiliary Enterprises Recreation Center, will feature screenings, health information, chair massages and door prizes. Any UT department wishing to participate or any day-of-the-event volunteers should contact Pauline.M.Habetz@uth.tmc.edu; 713-500-8425.

SAVE THE DATE

The Senior Awards Banquet will be held at 6:30 p.m. Wednesday, April 23 at The Hornberger Conference Center. Please note that this is a new date.

UTDB featured in UTHSC online magazine HealthLeader

The Dental Branch was the star of the Jan. 10, 2008 edition of HealthLeader, featured in an article about tooth whitening. The story included interviews with Rade D. Paravina, D.D.S., Ph.D., assistant professor in the Department of Restorative Dentistry and Biomaterials; Joe C. Ontiveros, D.D.S., director of the Esthetic Dentistry Clinic; and Magda Eldiwany, D.D.S., clinical associate professor in the Department of Restorative Dentistry and Biomaterials. To read the story, visit the UT Health Science Center at Houston Web site.

CORRECTION:

A photo caption in the Jan. 10 edition of eFlash! should have identified Lisa P. Thomas, D.D.S., as an associate professor of Diagnostic Sciences.