CORE--ENDOCRINE LABORATORY

The Core Endocrine Laboratory is a research laboratory with the resources and expertise to perform a wide range of radioimmunoassays for steroid and peptide hormones, tissue steroid receptor assays, cytokine and growth factor assays as well as tissue and culture medium polyamine assays using high-pressure liquid chromatography. In addition, expertise exists for study of eicosanoid metabolism in cells and tissue as part of membrane transduction signalling as well as biochemical events surrounding tumor metastases. This Core will support all of the projects with one or several of its functions. Estrogen and progesterone receptor measurements will be provided and development of a new assay for the C- receptor, based on ELISA technology, is planned. In Projects 1 and 2, HPLC methodology is utilized for measurements of spermine, spermidine and putrescine. Radioimmuno- and ELISA assays will be provided for measurement of TGF-alpha, TGF-beta1, and IGF-II in support of Projects 1, 2, 4, and 5. Biochemical differentiation markers such as cathepsin-D and pS2 protein will be measured by radioimmunoassay in support of studies of tumor invasiveness and metastasis. Biochemical markers of eicosanoid metabolism and the measurement of collagenase Type IV, heparinase, cathepsin-D and plasminogen activator will be developed.