Maria E Ramos-Nino received her Ph.D degree from Surrey University, England in 1996. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship at Wayne State University and another postdoctoral fellowship at UVM in the Department of Pathology where she now runs a research laboratory as Research Assistant Professor. She completed her Clinical Fellowship in the PRIMO Program at UVM in 2007.

Research Interests

My laboratory works in cancer, trying to establish genetic markers for the early diagnosis or metastatic progression of the disease. We study the cell-signaling pathways that modulate these potential biomarkers and the intrinsic and extrinsic conditions that affect their expression. Two projects are presently running: 1) Evidence exists for the presence of a renin-angiotensin system (RAS) in the pancreas. We are trying to analyze the role of RAS in pancreatic cancer development and progression. Furthermore, we are trying to establish the impact of chronically use ACE-inhibitors in this development. and, 2) Increased expression of Fra-1, a Fos family member of the transcription factor activator protein-1 (AP-1), has been implicated in both the maintenance and progression of the transformed state of several cancer cells. We are dissecting the cell-signaling pathway that lead to the increase expression of Fra-1 in cancer metastasis. Particularly, we are looking at the effect of adipokines in Fra-1 expression.

Selected Publications

Ramos-Nino, ME; Timblin, CR; and Mossman, BT. Mesothelial cell transformation requires increased AP-1 binding activity and ERK-dependent Fra-1 expression Cancer Research. 62:6065-6069, 2002.

Ramos-Nino, ME; Haegens, A; Shukla, A; and Mossman, BT.Role of mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK) in cell injury and proliferation by environmental particulates. Molecular and Cell Biochemistry. 234/235:111-118, 2002

Ramos-Nino, ME; Heintz, N; Scapoli, L; Martinelli, M; Land, S; Nowak, N; Haegens; Manning, B.; Manning, N.; A; MacPherson, M; Stern, M; and Mossman, BT.Gene Profiling and Kinase screening in Asbestos-Exposed epithelial cells and lungs. American Journal of Respiratory Cell and Molecular Biology. 29(3): S51-S58. 2003

Ramos-Nino, ME; Scapoli, L; Martinelli, M; Land, S; and Mossman, B. Microarray analysis and RNA silencing link fra-1 to cd44 and c-met expression in mesothelioma. Cancer Research. 2003.63(13):3539-45.

Ramos-Nino, ME; Vianale, G; Sabo-Attwood, T; Mutti, L; Porta, C; Heintz, N and Mossman, BT. Human mesothelioma cells exhibit tumor cell-specific differences in phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/AKT activity that predict the efficacy of Onconase. Mol Cancer Ther. 4:835-42. 2005

Ramos-Nino, ME, Testa,JR, Altomare,DA, Pass,DI, Carbone, M, Bocchetta, M, and Mossman, BT. Prospect article: Cellular and molecular parameters of mesothelioma. Journal of Cellular Biochemistry. 2006 98:723-734

Ramos-Nino, ME; MacLean, C; and Littenberg, B. Association between cancer prevalence and use of thiazolidinediones (TZDs): results from the Vermont Diabetes Information System study. BMC Medicine. 2007; 5:17.

Ramos-Nino, ME; Blumen, S and Mossman, B. Fra-1 governs cell migration via modulation of CD44 expression in human mesotheliomas. Molecular Cancer. 2008, 6:81

Ramos-Nino, ME; Blumen, S; Attwood-Sabo, J; Pass, H; Carbone, M; Testa, JR; Altomare, D; and Mossman, B. HGF mediates proliferation through a PI3K/MEK5/Fra-1-dependent pathway in human mesotheliomas. Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. 2008; 38(2):209-17.

Ramos-Nino, ME.and Littenberg, B A novel combination: ranpirnase and rosiglitazone induce a synergistic anti-apoptotic effect by down-regulating Fra-1 and Survivin in cancer cells. Molecular Cancer Terapheutics 2008; 7(7):1871-1879.

Ramos-Nino, ME; MacLean, C; and Littenberg, B. Association of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor therapy and comorbidity in diabetes: results from the Vermont Diabetes Information System. BMC Medicine. 2008. (Submitted)