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Signal Transduction Laboratory (STL)

James Antoon, M.D./Ph.D. Candidate

James Antoon Jim Antoon joined the Beckman lab in 2004 as an MD/PhD student and recently defended his Ph.D. Dissertation in Pharmacology on March 23, 2010.  Using molecular and animals models, he aims to identify and understand the pathogenic intracellular lipid signaling involved cancer promotion and progression.  Specifically, his dissertation research focuses on the role of sphingosine kinase in promoting estrogen receptor signaling and NF-kappaB mediated chemoresistance.  Jim is developing experimental therapeutics targeting aberrant sphingolipid metabolism as a potential treatment in both endocrine- and chemo-resistant cancers.  This work is supported by the Paul Calabresi Medical Research Fellowship from the PhRMA Foundation...

Publications

  1. Roque DR, Neill JL, Antoon JW, Stevens EP. Synthesis of 1,2,3-Triazoles by Cycloadditions of Azides with Enol Ethers. Synthesis. 2005;15(1):2497-2502. 
  2. Jones NA, Antoon JW, Bowie, AL, Borak JB, Stevens EP. Synthesis of 2,2'-Bipyridyl-Type Compounds via the Suzuki-Miyaura Cross-Coupling Reaction. J Heterocyc Chem. 2007;44(2):363-368.
  3. Antoon JW, Liu J, Gestaut MM, Burow ME, Beckman BS, Foroozesh M.  Design, synthesis, and biological activity of a family of novel ceramide analogues in chemoresistant breast cancer cells. J  Med Chem. Sep 24 2009;52(18):5748-5752.
  4. Meacham WD, Antoon JW, Struckhoff AP, Burow ME, Beckman BS.  Sphingolipids as determinants of apoptosis and chemoresistance in the MCF-7 cell model system. Exp Biol Med. Nov 2009;234(11):1253-1263.
  5. Rhodes LV, Muir SE, Elliott S, Guillot LM, Antoon JW, Penfornis P, Tilghman SL, Salvo VA, Fonseca JP, Lacey M, McLachlan JA, Rowan BG, Pochampally R, Burow ME. Adult human mesenchymal stem cells enhance breast tumorigenesis and promote hormone independence. Breast Cancer Res Treat. Jun 2010;121(2):293-300.
  6. Antoon JW, Liu J, Ponnapakkam AP, Gestaut MM, Beckman BS, Foroozesh M.  Novel D-erythro N-octanoyl sphingosine analogs as chemo- and endocrine-resistant breast cancer therapeutics. Cancer Chemother Pharmacol. May 2010;65(6):1191-1195.
  7. Liu J, Antoon JW, Ponnapakkam AP, Beckman BS, Foroozesh M. Novel anti-viability ceramide analogs: design, synthesis, and structure-activity relationship studies of substituted (S)-2-(benzylideneamino)-3-hydroxy-N-tetradecylpropanamides. Bioorg Med Chem. Jul 2010;18(14):5316-5322.
  8. Antoon JW, White MD, Slaughter EM, Muir SM, Rhodes LV, Meacham WD, Elliott S, Ashe HB, Wiese TE, Smith CD, Burow ME, Beckman BS.  Antiestrogenic effects of the novel sphingosine kinase-2 inhibitor ABC294640. Endocrinology. Nov 2010;151(11):5124-5135.
  9. Rhodes LV, Antoon JW, Muir SE, Elliott S, Beckman BS, Burow ME. Effects of human mesenchymal stem cells on ER-positive human breast carcinoma cells mediated through ER-SDF-1/CXCR4 crosstalk. Mol Cancer. 2010;9(1):295-310. 
  10. Antoon JW, White MD, Slaughter EM, Driver JL, Khalili HS, Elliott S, Smith CD, Burow ME, Beckman BS. Targeting NF-kB mediated breast cancer chemoresistance through selective inhibition of sphingosine kinase-2. Cancer Biol Ther. Apr 2011;11(7):678-689.
  11. Antoon JW, Beckman BS.  Sphingosine kinase: A promising cancer therapeutic target. Cancer Biol Ther. Apr 2011;11(7):647-650.
  12. Antoon JW, Meacham WD, Bratton MR, Slaughter EM, Rhodes LV, Ashe HB, Wiese TE, Burow ME, Beckman BS. Pharmacological Inhibition of Sphingosine Kinase Isoforms Alters Estrogen Receptor Signaling in Human Breast Cancer. J Mol Endocrinol. Apr 2011;2846(3):205-16.
  13. Antoon JW, Chakraborti C. Corticosteroids in the Treatment of Alcohol Induced Rhabdomyolysis.  Mayo Clin Proc.  Oct 2011;86(10):1005-7.
  14. Antoon JW, Steele RW.  A Neonate with Seizures.  Clin Pediatr (Phila).  In Press, 2011.
  15. Antoon JW, Knudson-Johnson M, Kiernan MP.  An Unusual Case of Pediatric Shortness of Breath.  Pediatr Nephrol. In Press, 2011.
  16. Antoon JW, Keane MW. Migratory Polyarthritis In a Child.  Clin Pediatr (Phila).  In Press, 2011.