Powel H. Brown, M.D., Ph.D.
Department of Clinical Cancer Prevention, Division of Cancer Prev & Pop Sci-Clinical
About Dr. Powel H. Brown
I am a molecular biologist and breast medical oncologist with a primary interest in cancer prevention. My laboratory and clinical interests are to identify molecular pathways critical for cancer development and to develop clinical trials testing new strategies for cancer prevention. We are currently focused on developing molecularly targeted therapy for the prevention of estrogen receptor-negative breast cancer. We have previously shown that specific RXR-selective retinoids (“rexinoids”) prevent ER-negative breast cancer in transgenic mice. These studies led us to develop and conduct a Phase II clinical trial testing the rexinoid bexarotene in women at high risk of breast cancer. We have also demonstrated that receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors prevent ER-negative breast cancer development in mice. These results led us to develop and conduct a window-of-opportunity trial testing the signaling inhibitor lapatinib for treatment of women with DCIS breast cancer. I have also conducted other cancer prevention trials including phase II trials and the Phase III STAR Breast Cancer Prevention trial. I am the Principal Investigator of the N01 Contract that support multi-center Phase I and II early phase chemoprevention trials.
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Present Title & Affiliation
Primary Appointment
Professor, Department of Clinical Cancer Prevention, Division of OVP, Cancer Prevention and Population Sciences, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX
Education & Training
Degree-Granting Education
| 1985 | New York University, New York, NY, USA, MD, Medicine |
| 1984 | New York University, New York, NY, USA, PHD, Immunology |
| 1979 | University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC, USA, BS, Chemistry |
Board Certifications
| 1988 | American Board of Internal Medicine |
Experience & Service
Academic Appointments
Associate Professor (Tenured), Department of Departments of Medicine and Molecular and Cellular Biology, Baylor College of Medicine, Houston, TX, 1999 - 2006
Assistant Professor, Department of Medicine, Division of Medical Oncology, The University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio, Texas, San Antonio, TX, 1995 - 1998
Senior Staff Scientist, Division of Biomarkers Prevention Research Branch, National Cancer Institute, National Institute of Health, Bethesda, MD, 1991 - 1995
Honors & Awards
| 2009 | John Charles Cain Distinguished Endowed Chair, University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center |
Selected Publications
Peer-Reviewed Articles
- Mazumdar A, Tahaney WM, Hill JL, Zhang Y, Ramachandran S, Kawedia J, Qian J, Contreras A, Savage MI, Vornik LA, Sei S, Mohammed A, Brown PH. Targeting the mTOR Pathway for the Prevention of ER-negative Breast Cancer. Cancer Prev Res (Phila) 15(12):791-802, 2022. e-Pub 2022. PMID: 35981902.
- Bollu LR, Shepherd J, Zhao D, Ma Y, Tahaney W, Speers C, Mazumdar A, Mills GB, Brown PH. Mutant P53 induces MELK expression by release of wild-type P53-dependent suppression of FOXM1. NPJ Breast Cancer 6:2, 2020. e-Pub 2020. PMID: 31909186.
- Mazumdar A, Tahaney WM, Reddy Bollu L, Poage G, Hill J, Zhang Y, Mills GB, Brown P. The phosphatase PPM1A inhibits Triple Negative Breast Cancer growth by blocking cell cycle progression. NPJ Breast Cancer 5:22, 2019. e-Pub 2019. PMID: 31372497.
- Zhao D, Tahaney WM, Mazumdar A, Savage MI, Brown PH. Molecularly targeted therapies for p53-mutant cancers. Cell Mol Life Sci 74(22):4171-4187, 2017. e-Pub 2017. PMID: 28643165.
- Bollu LR, Mazumdar A, Savage MI, Brown PH. Molecular Pathways: Targeting Protein Tyrosine Phosphatases in Cancer. Clin Cancer Res 23(9):2136-2142, 2017. e-Pub 2017. PMID: 28087641.
- den Hollander P, Rawls K, Tsimelzon A, Shepherd J, Mazumdar A, Hill J, Fuqua SA, Chang JC, Osborne CK, Hilsenbeck SG, Mills GB, Brown PH. Phosphatase PTP4A3 promotes triple-negative breast cancer growth and predicts poor patient survival. Cancer Res 76(7):1942-53, 2016. e-Pub 2016. PMID: 26921331.
- Shepherd JH, Uray IP, Mazumdar A, Tsimelzon A, Savage M, Hilsenbeck SG, Brown PH. The SOX11 transcription factor is a critical regulator of basal-like breast cancer growth, invasion, and basal-like gene expression. Oncotarget 7(11):13106-21, 2016. e-Pub 2016. PMID: 26894864.
- Uray IP, Dmitrovsky E, Brown PH. Retinoids and rexinoids in cancer prevention: from laboratory to clinic. Semin Oncol 43(1):49-64, 2016. e-Pub 2015. PMID: 26970124.
- Zhao J, Zhao D, Poage GM, Mazumdar A, Zhang Y, Hill JL, Hartman ZC, Savage MI, Mills GB, Brown PH. Death-associated protein kinase 1 promotes growth of p53-mutant cancers. J Clin Invest 125(7):2707-20, 2015. e-Pub 2015. PMID: 26075823.
- Haricharan S, Brown PH. TLR4 has a TP53-Dependent Dual Role in Regulating Breast Cancer Cell Growth. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 112(25):E3216-25, 2015. e-Pub 2015. PMID: 26063617.
- Burstein MD, Tsimelzon A, Poage GM, Covington KR, Contreras A, Fuqua SA, Savage MI, Osborne CK, Hilsenbeck SG, Chang JC, Mills GB, Lau CC, Brown PH. Comprehensive Genomic Analysis Identifies Novel Subtypes and Targets of Triple-negative Breast Cancer. Clin Cancer Res 21(7):1688-98, 2015. e-Pub 2014. PMID: 25208879.
- Haricharan S, Bainbridge MN, Scheet P, Brown PH. Somatic mutation load of estrogen receptor-positive breast tumors predicts overall survival: an analysis of genome sequence data. Breast Cancer Res Treat 146(1):211-20, 2014. e-Pub 2014. PMID: 24839032.
- Litzenburger BC, Brown PH. Advances in Preventive Therapy for Estrogen-Receptor-Negative Breast Cancer. Curr Breast Cancer Rep 6:96-109, 2014. e-Pub 2014. PMID: 24829621.
- Hartman ZC, Poage GM, den Hollander P, Tsimelzon A, Hill J, Panupinthu N, Zhang Y, Mazumdar A, Hilsenbeck SG, Mills GB, Brown PH. Growth of triple-negative breast cancer cells relies upon coordinate autocrine expression of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6 and IL-8. Cancer Res 73(11):3470-80, 2013. e-Pub 2013. PMID: 23633491.
- den Hollander P, Savage MI, Brown PH. Targeted therapy for breast cancer prevention. Front Oncol 3:250, 2013. e-Pub 2013. PMID: 24069582.
- Mazumdar A, Medina D, Kittrell FS, Zhang Y, Hill JL, Edwards DE, Bissonnette RP, Brown PH. The Combination of Tamoxifen and the Rexinoid LG100268 Prevents ER-Positive and ER-Negative Mammary Tumors in P53-Null Mammary Gland Mice. Cancer Prev Res (Phila) 5(10):1195-202, 2012. e-Pub 2012. PMID: 22926341.
- Wang C, Mayer JA, Mazumdar A, Fertuck K, Kim H, Brown M, Brown PH. Estrogen Induces c-myc Gene Expression via an Upstream Enhancer Activated by the Estrogen Receptor and the AP-1 Transcription Factor. Mol Endocrinol 25(9):1527-38, 2011. e-Pub 2011. PMID: 21835891.
- Uray IP, Brown PH. Chemoprevention of Hormone Receptor-negative Breast Cancer:New Approaches Needed. Recent Results Cancer Res 188(188):147-62, 2011. PMID: 21253797.
- Cuzick J, Decensi A, Arun B, Brown PH, Castiglione M, Dunn B, Forbes JF, Glaus A, Howell A, von Minckwitz G, Vogel V, Zwierzina H. Preventive therapy for breast cancer: a consensus statement. Lancet Oncol 12(5):496-503, 2011. PMID: 21441069.
- Strecker TE, Shen Q, Zhang Y, Hill JL, Li Y, Wang C, Kim HT, Gilmer TM, Sexton KR, Hilsenbeck SG, Osborne CK, Brown PH. Effect of lapatinib on the development of estrogen receptor-negative mammary tumors in mice. J Natl Cancer Inst 101(2):107-13, 2009. PMID: 19141783.
- Uray IP, Shen Q, Seo HS, Kim H, Lamph WW, Bissonnette RP, Brown PH. Rexinoid-induced expression of IGFBP-6 requires RARbeta-dependent permissive cooperation of retinoid receptors and AP-1. J Biol Chem 284(1):345-53, 2009. PMID: 18957410.
Grant & Contract Support
| Title: | Preclinical PREVENT Cancer Program: Targeting the mTOR Pathway for the Prevention of Breast Cancer |
| Funding Source: | NIH/NCI |
| Role: | Principal Investigator |
| Title: | Preclinical PREVENT Cancer Program: RANK Ligand Inhibition - a Potential Chemoprevention Strategy for Women at High Genetic Risk of Breast Cancer |
| Funding Source: | NIH/NCI |
| Role: | Principal Investigator |
| Title: | Preclinical PREVENT Cancer Program: Targeting the RXR Pathway for the Prevention of Triple Negative Breast Cancer |
| Funding Source: | NIH/NCI |
| Role: | Co-Principal Investigator |
| Title: | iCAN-PREVENT Consortium (for International Cancer Prevention Clinical Trial Consortium) |
| Funding Source: | NIH/NCI |
| Role: | Principal Investigator |
| Title: | Targeting a Master Regulator of Metastasis for Treatment of Triple Negative Breast Cancer |
| Funding Source: | Breast Cancer Research Foundation (BCRF) |
| Role: | Principal Investigator |
| Title: | Preclinical PREVENT Cancer Program: Preclinical Efficacy and Intermediate Endpoint Biomarkers - Cancer prevention by vaccination against induced antigens |
| Funding Source: | NIH/NCI |
| Role: | Co-Principal Investigator |
| Title: | Preclinical PREVENT Cancer Program: Optimization of Dosing Regimens of Sulindac in Combination with Erlotinib for Small Intestinal and Colon Cancer Prevention |
| Funding Source: | NIH/NCI |
| Role: | Co-Principal Investigator |
| Title: | Targeting SOX9-Activating Proteins for the Prevention and Treatment of Breast Cancer Metastasis |
| Funding Source: | Breast Cancer Research Foundation |
| Role: | Principal Investigator |
| Title: | Moving PARP Inhibitors Beyond BRCAness as Immune Modulating Agents for TNBC Prevention |
| Funding Source: | Department of Defense (DOD) |
| Role: | Principal Investigator |
| Title: | Preventing BRCA1-Deficient Breast Cancer by Combining Immune and Targeted Therapies |
| Funding Source: | Breast Cancer Research Foundation |
| Role: | Principal Investigator |
| Title: | Preclinical PREVENT Cancer Program: Targeting the PARP pathways for the Prevention of Triple-Negative Breast Cancer |
| Funding Source: | NIH/NCI |
| Role: | Co-Investigator |
Patient Reviews
CV information above last modified December 20, 2024