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Donna F. Kusewitt, DVM, Ph.D.

Present Title & Affiliation

Primary Appointment

Professor, Department of Carcinogenesis, Science Park - Research Division, The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, Smithville, TX

Education & Training

Degree-Granting Education

1987 University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM, PHD, Medical Sciences
1977 University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, DVM, Veterinary Medicine
1973 University of Missouri, St. Louis, MO, BA, Biology

Postgraduate Training

1980-1982 Post-Doctoral Fellow, Veterinary Pathology, The Lovelace Institutes, ITRI, Albuquerque, NM
1978-1980 Research Residency, Veterinary Pathology, University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, IL

Experience/Service

Other Appointments/Responsibilities

Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, College of Medicine, Dept of Pharmacology and Toxicology, Little Rock, AR, 1997
Clinical Associate Professor, University of New Mexico, College of Pharmacy, Albuquerque, NM, 1993-1997

Selected Publications

Peer-Reviewed Original Research Articles
1. Hudson LG, Newkirk KM, Chandler HL, Choi C, Fossey SL, Parent AE, Kusewitt DF. Cutaneous wound reepithelialization is compromised in mice lacking functional Slug (Snai2). J Dermatol Sci. e-Pub 7/28/2009. PMID: 19643582.
2. Duncan FJ, Martin JR, Wulff BC, Stoner GD, Tober KL, Oberyszyn TM, Kusewitt DF, Van Buskirk AM. Topical treatment with black raspberry extract reduces cutaneous UVB-induced carcinogenesis and inflammation. Cancer Prev Res (Phila Pa) 2(7):665-72, 7/2009. PMID: 19584078.
3. Chandler HL, Newkirk KM, Kusewitt DF, Dubielzig RR, Colitz CM. Immunohistochemical analysis of ocular hemangiomas and hemangiosarcomas in dogs. Vet Ophthalmol 12(2):83-90, Mar-Apr, 4/2009. PMID: 19261162.
4. Martin J, Duncan FJ, Keiser T, Shin S, Kusewitt DF, Oberyszyn T, Satoskar AR, VanBuskirk AM. Macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) plays a critical role in pathogenesis of ultraviolet-B (UVB) -induced nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC). FASEB J 23(3):720-30, 3/2009. e-Pub 2008. PMID: 18952710.
5. Kusewitt DF, Choi C, Newkirk KM, Leroy P, Li Y, Chavez MG, Hudson LG. Slug/Snai2 is a downstream mediator of epidermal growth factor receptor-stimulated reepithelialization. J Invest Dermatol 129(2):491-5, 2/2009. e-Pub 8/14/2008. PMID: 18685621.
6. Benavides F, Oberyszyn TM, VanBuskirk AM, Reeve VE, Kusewitt DF. The hairless mouse in skin research. J Dermatol Sci 53(1):10-8, 1/2009. e-Pub 10/19/2008. PMCID: PMC2646590.
7. Jiang Y, Nishimura W, Devor-Henneman D, Kusewitt D, Wang H, Holloway MP, Dohi T, Sabo E, Robinson ML, Altieri DC, Sharma A, Altura RA. Postnatal expansion of the pancreatic beta-cell mass is dependent on survivin. Diabetes 57(10):2718-27, 10/2008. PMCID: PMC2551682.
8. Wulff BC, Kusewitt DF, VanBuskirk AM, Thomas-Ahner JM, Duncan FJ, Oberyszyn TM. Sirolimus reduces the incidence and progression of UVB-induced skin cancer in SKH mice even with co-administration of cyclosporine A. J Invest Dermatol 128(10):2467-73, 10/2008. PMCID: PMC2606089.
9. Newkirk KM, Duncan FJ, Brannick EM, Chandler HL, Parent AE, Kusewitt DF. The acute cutaneous inflammatory response is attenuated in Slug-knockout mice. Lab Invest 88(8):831-41, 8/2008. PMID: 18458671.
10. Chandler HL, Kusewitt DF, Colitz CM.. Modulation of matrix metalloproteinases by ultraviolet radiation in the canine cornea. Vet Ophthalmol 11(3):135-44, 5/2008. PMID: 18435653.
11. Wulff BC, Schick JS, Thomas-Ahner JM, Kusewitt DF, Yarosh DB, Oberyszyn TM. Topical treatment with OGG1 enzyme affects UVB-induced skin carcinogenesis. Photochem Photobiol 84(2):317-21, Mar-Apr, 4/2008. PMID: 18086242.
12. Newkirk KM, MacKenzie DA, Bakaletz AP, Hudson LG, Kusewitt DF. Microarray analysis demonstrates a role for slug in epidermal homeostasis. J Invest Dermatol 128(2):361-9, 2/2008. PMID: 17637818.
13. Visone R, Iuliano R, Palmieri D, Server IN, Chiappetta G, De Martino I, Fedele M, Costinean S, Oberyszyn TM, Kusewitt DF, Croce CM, Fusco A. Hmga1 null mice are less susceptible to chemically induced skin carcinogenesis. Eur J Cancer 44(2):318-25, 1/2008. PMID: 18155899.
14. Duncan FJ, Wulff BC, Tober KL, Ferketich AK, Martin J, Thomas-Ahner JM, Allen SD, Kusewitt DF, Oberyszyn TM, Vanbuskirk AM. Clinically relevant immunosuppressants influence UVB-induced tumor size through effects on inflammation and angiogenesis. Am J Transplant 7(12):2693-703, 12/2007. PMID: 17941958.
15. Newkirk KM, Parent AE, Fossey SL, Choi C, Chandler HL, Rajala-Schultz PJ, Kusewitt DF. Snai2 expression enhances ultraviolet radiation-induced skin carcinogenesis. Am J Pathol 171(5):1629-39, 11/2007. PMCID: PMC2043523.
16. Wang L, Wang J, Blaser BW, Duchemin AM, Kusewitt DF, Liu T, Caligiuri MA, Briesewitz R. Pharmacologic inhibition of CDK4/6: mechanistic evidence for selective activity or acquired resistance in acute myeloid leukemia. Blood 110(6):2075-83, 9/2007. PMID: 17537993.
17. Hatton JL, Parent A, Tober KL, Hoppes T, Wulff BC, Duncan FJ, Kusewitt DF, VanBuskirk AM, Oberyszyn TM. Depletion of CD4+ cells exacerbates the cutaneous response to acute and chronic UVB exposure. J Invest Dermatol 127(6):1507-15, 6/2007. PMID: 17363918.
18. Thomas-Ahner JM, Wulff BC, Tober KL, Kusewitt DF, Riggenbach JA, Oberyszyn TM. Gender differences in UVB-induced skin carcinogenesis, inflammation, and DNA damage. Cancer Res 67(7):3468-74, 4/1/2007. PMID: 17389759.
19. Thomas-Ahner JM, Wulff BC, Tober KL, Kusewitt DF, Riggenbach JA, Oberyszyn TM. Gender differences in UVB-induced skin carcinogenesis, inflammation, and DNA damage. Cancer Res 67(7):3468-74, 4/2007. PMID: 17389759.
20. Chandler HL, Barden CA, Lu P, Kusewitt DF, Colitz CM. Prevention of posterior capsular opacification through cyclooxygenase-2 inhibition. Mol Vis 13:677-91, 4/2007. PMID: 17563718.
21. Hudson LG, Choi C, Newkirk KM, Parkhani J, Cooper KL, Lu P, Kusewitt DF. Ultraviolet radiation stimulates expression of Snail family transcription factors in keratinocytes. Mol Carcinog 46(4):257-68, 4/2007. PMID: 17295233.
22. Newkirk KM, Chandler HL, Parent AE, Young DC, Colitz CM, Wilkie DA, Kusewitt DF. Ultraviolet radiation-induced corneal degeneration in 129 mice. Toxicol Pathol 35(6):817-24, 4/2007. PMID: 17943656.
23. Chandler HL, Colitz CM, Lu P, Saville WJ, Kusewitt DF. The role of the slug transcription factor in cell migration during corneal re-epithelialization in the dog. Exp Eye Res 84(3):400-11, 3/2007. PMID: 17196588.
24. Bras ID, Colitz CM, Kusewitt DF, Chandler H, Lu P, Gemensky-Metzler AJ, Wilkie DA. Evaluation of advanced glycation end-products in diabetic and inherited canine cataracts. Graefes Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 245(2):249-57, 2/2007. PMID: 16896921.
25. Tober KL, Thomas-Ahner JM, Kusewitt DF, Oberyszyn TM. Effects of UVB on E prostanoid receptor expression in murine skin. J Invest Dermatol 127(1):214-21, 1/2007. PMID: 16917495.
26. Klosterman E, Colitz CM, Chandler HL, Kusewitt DF, Saville WJ, Dubielzig RR. Immunohistochemical properties of ocular adenomas, adenocarcinomas and medulloepitheliomas. Vet Ophthalmol 9(6):387-94, Nov-Dec, 12/2006. PMID: 17076871.
27. Zeineldin R, Rosenberg M, Ortega D, Buhr C, Chavez MG, Stack MS, Kusewitt DF, Hudson LG. Mesenchymal transformation in epithelial ovarian tumor cells expressing epidermal growth factor receptor variant III. Mol Carcinog 45(11):851-60, 11/2006. PMID: 16788982.
28. Blaser BW, Schwind NR, Karol S, Chang D, Shin S, Roychowdhury S, Becknell B, Ferketich AK, Kusewitt DF, Blazar BR, Caligiuri MA. Trans-presentation of donor-derived interleukin 15 is necessary for the rapid onset of acute graft-versus-host disease but not for graft-versus-tumor activity. Blood 108(7):2463-9, 10/2006. PMCID: PMC1895554.
29. Norenberg JP, Krenning BJ, Konings IR, Kusewitt DF, Nayak TK, Anderson TL, de Jong M, Garmestani K, Brechbiel MW, Kvols LK. 213Bi-[DOTA0, Tyr3]octreotide peptide receptor radionuclide therapy of pancreatic tumors in a preclinical animal model. Clin Cancer Res 12(3 Pt 1):897-903, 2/1/2006. PMID: 16467104.
30. Tober KL, Wilgus TA, Kusewitt DF, Thomas-Ahner JM, Maruyama T, Oberyszyn TM. Importance of the EP(1) receptor in cutaneous UVB-induced inflammation and tumor development. J Invest Dermatol 126(1):205-11, 1/2006. PMID: 16417238.

Last updated: 8/12/2009