Diane Jaworski, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Anatomy and Neurobiology
Research Program: Cell Signaling and Growth Control
VCC Membership Level: Affiliate Member
Contact Information
418 Health Science Research Facility
149 Beaumont Avenue
University of Vermont
Burlington, VT 05405
ph: (802) 656-0538
f: (802) 656-4674
Diane.Jaworski@uvm.edu
Biography
Dr. Jaworski obtained her Ph.D. in Molecular Biology in 1991 from Texas Woman's University, where she was awarded the Outstanding Graduate Student Award. During her postdoctoral training at Yale University, she investigated the role of the proteoglycan brevican in glioma invasion. Since joining UVM as an Assistant Professor in 1995 and promotion to Associate Professor with tenure in 2001, her research has focused on the protease inhibitor TIMP-2 in cell cycle arrest and differentiation. In addition to research, Dr. Jaworski is an active member of the College of Medicine's Admission Committee and teaches Neuroscience to first year medical students.
Research
In contrast to tumors that metastasize to the brain, which grow as well-defined masses that can be treated surgically, glioma tumors that originate within the brain are highly invasive and surgery is palliative rather than curative. Glioma cells most frequently disperse to sites distant from the primary tumor along white matter tracts. Interestingly, these tracts contain myelin, which inhibits cell migration. This suggests that glioma cells can overcome the inhibitory effects of myelin.
Dr. Jaworski's research focuses on the contribution of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteases in glioma invasion. Her research focuses primarily on the family of proteases known as matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) and their inhibitors, TIMPs. In addition to cleaving ECM proteins, MMPs also activate growth factors and their receptors as well as cytokines and their receptors. Thus, these molecules are well positioned to regulate not only cell migration, but also proliferation. Dr. Jaworski utilizes in vitro and in vivo approaches to determine the mechanism by which proteases support glioma cell invasion. The long-term goal of the research program is to prevent glioma cell invasion; thereby, permitting surgical treatment of primary brain tumors.
Recent Publications
Lluri G, GD Langlois, PD Soloway, DM Jaworski. (2008) Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-2 (TIMP-2) regulates myogenesis and beta1 integrin expression in vitro. Experimental Cell Research 314:11-24.
Jaworski DM, Beem-Miller M, Lluri G, Barrantes-Reynolds R. (2007) A potential regulatory relationship between the nested gene DDC8 and its host gene Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-2 (TIMP-2). Physiological Genomics 28:168-78.
Lluri G, Langlois GD, McClellan B, Soloway PD, Jaworski DM. (2006) Tissue inhibitor of metalloproteinase-2 regulates neuromuscular junction development via a beta1 integrin-mediated mechanism. Journal of Neurobiology 66:1365-77.
Perez-Martinez L, DM Jaworski. (2005) Tissue Inhibitor of Metalloproteinase-2 promotes neuronal differentiation by acting as an anti-mitogenic signal. Journal of Neuroscience 25: 4917-29.
Other Key Publications
Jaworski DM. (2000) Expression of pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP) and PACAP-selective receptor in cultured rat astrocytes, human brain tumors, and in response to acute intracranial injury. Cell and Tissue Research 300:219-230.
Zhang H, Kelly G, Zerillo C, Jaworski DM, Hockfield S. (1998) Expression of a cleaved brain-specific extracellular matrix protein mediates glioma cell invasion in vivo. Journal of Neuroscience 18:2370-2376.
Jaworski DM, Kelly GM, Piepmeier JM, Hockfield S. (1996) BEHAB (Brain Enriched Hyaluronan Binding) is expressed in surgical samples of glioma and in intracranial grafts of invasive glioma cell lines. Cancer Research 56:2293-2298.
