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Susan Kasper, PhD

Professor

Environmental & Public Health Sciences | College of Medicine

Education/Credentials
  • Postdoctoral Fellowship: New England Medical Center Hospitals (Molecular Medicine)
  • Postdoctoral Fellowship: Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
  • Doctoral Degree: University of Manitoba (Physiology/Endocrinology)
  • Master's Degree : University of Manitoba (Physiology/Endocrinology)
  • Bachelor's Degree: University of Manitoba (Zoology)
Contact Information
Research Interests

Research in our laboratory focuses on mechanisms by which prostate cancer becomes metastatic and progresses to therapeutic resistance. Therefore we are interrogating the integration of intrinsic (hormone receptor) and extrinsic (stem cell niche factor, environmental toxicant) signaling pathways in regulating genetic programs that control self-renewal, proliferation, survival, cell adhesion, migration and differentiation of stem/cancer stem cells. We have established several cancer stem cell-like models, i...

Peer Reviewed Publications

Vummidi Giridhar, Premkumar; Williams, Karin; VonHandorf, Andrew P; Deford, Paul L; Kasper, Susan 2019. Constant Degradation of the Androgen Receptor by MDM2 Conserves Prostate Cancer Stem Cell Integrity. Cancer research, 79 6, 1124-1137

Langevin, Scott; Kuhnell, Damaris; Parry, Tess; Biesiada, Jacek; Huang, Shouxiong; Wise-Draper, Trisha; Casper, Keith; Zhang, Xiang; Medvedovic, Mario; Kasper, Susan 2017. Comprehensive microRNA-sequencing of exosomes derived from head and neck carcinoma cells in vitro reveals common secretion profiles and potential utility as salivary biomarkers. Oncotarget, 8 47, 82459-82474

Varughese, Eunice A; Kasper, Susan; Anneken, Emily M; Yadav, Jagjit S 2015. SHP-2 Mediates Cryptosporidium parvum Infectivity in Human Intestinal Epithelial Cells. PloS one, 10 11, e0142219

Zhou, Jian; Giridhar, Premkumar Vummidi; Kasper, Susan; Papautsky, Ian 2014. Modulation of rotation-induced lift force for cell filtration in a low aspect ratio microchannel. Biomicrofluidics, 8 4, 044112

Cai, Yuqi; Balli, David; Ustiyan, Vladimir; Fulford, Logan; Hiller, Andrea; Misetic, Vinko; Zhang, Yufang; Paluch, Andrew M; Waltz, Susan E; Kasper, Susan; Kalin, Tanya V 2013. Foxm1 expression in prostate epithelial cells is essential for prostate carcinogenesis. The Journal of biological chemistry, 288 31, 22527-41

Zhou, Jian; Giridhar, Premkumar Vummidi; Kasper, Susan; Papautsky, Ian 2013. Modulation of aspect ratio for complete separation in an inertial microfluidic channel. Lab on a chip, 13 10, 1919-29

Zhou, Jian; Kasper, Susan; Papautsky, Ian 2013. Enhanced size-dependent trapping of particles using microvortices. Microfluidics and nanofluidics, 15 5,

Kendig, Eric L; Buesing, Dana R; Christie, Susie M; Cookman, Clifford J; Gear, Robin B; Hugo, Eric R; Kasper, Susan N; Kendziorski, Jessica A; Ungi, Kevin R; Williams, Karin; Belcher, Scott M 2012. Estrogen-like disruptive effects of dietary exposure to bisphenol A or 17α-ethinyl estradiol in CD1 mice. International journal of toxicology, 31 6, 537-50

Williams, Karin; Ghosh, Ritwik; Giridhar, Premkumar Vummidi; Gu, Guangyu; Case, Thomas; Belcher, Scott M; Kasper, Susan 2012. Inhibition of stathmin1 accelerates the metastatic process. Cancer research, 72 20, 5407-17

Liu, June; Pascal, Laura E; Isharwal, Sudhir; Metzger, Daniel; Ramos Garcia, Raquel; Pilch, Jan; Kasper, Susan; Williams, Karin; Basse, Per H; Nelson, Joel B; Chambon, Pierre; Wang, Zhou 2011. Regenerated luminal epithelial cells are derived from preexisting luminal epithelial cells in adult mouse prostate. Molecular endocrinology (Baltimore, Md.), 25 11, 1849-57

Zhang, JianFeng; Gao, Nan; DeGraff, David J; Yu, Xiuping; Sun, Qian; Case, Thomas C; Kasper, Susan; Matusik, Robert J 2010. Characterization of cis elements of the probasin promoter necessary for prostate-specific gene expression. The Prostate, 70 9, 934-51

Chaurand, Pierre; Rahman, Mohammad A; Hunt, Tamela; Mobley, James A; Gu, Guangyu; Latham, Joey C; Caprioli, Richard M; Kasper, Susan 2008. Monitoring mouse prostate development by profiling and imaging mass spectrometry. Molecular & cellular proteomics : MCP, 7 2, 411-23

Ghosh, Ritwik; Gu, Guangyu; Tillman, Erin; Yuan, Jialing; Wang, Yongqing; Fazli, Ladan; Rennie, Paul S; Kasper, Susan 2007. Increased expression and differential phosphorylation of stathmin may promote prostate cancer progression. The Prostate, 67 10, 1038-52

Gipp, Jerry; Gu, Guangyu; Crylen, Curtis; Kasper, Susan; Bushman, Wade 2007. Hedgehog pathway activity in the LADY prostate tumor model. Molecular cancer, 6 , 19

Gu, Guangyu; Yuan, Jialing; Wills, Marcia; Kasper, Susan 2007. Prostate cancer cells with stem cell characteristics reconstitute the original human tumor in vivo. Cancer research, 67 10, 4807-15

Tillman, J Erin; Yuan, Jialing; Gu, Guangyu; Fazli, Ladan; Ghosh, Ritwik; Flynt, Alex S; Gleave, Martin; Rennie, Paul S; Kasper, Susan 2007. DJ-1 binds androgen receptor directly and mediates its activity in hormonally treated prostate cancer cells. Cancer research, 67 10, 4630-7

Pitkänen-Arsiola, Tiina; Tillman, J Erin; Gu, Guangyu; Yuan, Jialing; Roberts, Richard L; Wantroba, Marcus; Coetzee, Gerhard A; Cookson, Michael S; Kasper, Susan 2006. Androgen and anti-androgen treatment modulates androgen receptor activity and DJ-1 stability. The Prostate, 66 11, 1177-93

Wang, Yongqing; Kasper, Susan; Yuan, Jialing; Jin, Ren Jie; Zhang, Jianfeng; Ishii, Kenichiro; Wills, Marcia L; Hayward, Simon W; Matusik, Robert J 2006. Androgen-dependent prostate epithelial cell selection by targeting ARR(2)PBneo to the LPB-Tag model of prostate cancer. Laboratory investigation; a journal of technical methods and pathology, 86 10, 1074-88

Jin, Ren Jie; Wang, Yongqing; Masumori, Naoya; Ishii, Kenichiro; Tsukamoto, Taiji; Shappell, Scott B; Hayward, Simon W; Kasper, Susan; Matusik, Robert J 2004. NE-10 neuroendocrine cancer promotes the LNCaP xenograft growth in castrated mice. Cancer research, 64 15, 5489-95

Masumori, Naoya; Tsuchiya, Karen; Tu, William H; Lee, Charles; Kasper, Susan; Tsukamoto, Taiji; Shappell, Scott B; Matusik, Robert J 2004. An allograft model of androgen independent prostatic neuroendocrine carcinoma derived from a large probasin promoter-T antigen transgenic mouse line. The Journal of urology, 171 1, 439-42

Zhang, JianFeng; Gao, Nan; Kasper, Susan; Reid, Kimberly; Nelson, Colleen; Matusik, Robert J 2004. An androgen-dependent upstream enhancer is essential for high levels of probasin gene expression. Endocrinology, 145 1, 134-48

Tu, William H; Thomas, Tania Z; Masumori, Naoya; Bhowmick, Neil A; Gorska, Agnieszka E; Shyr, Yu; Kasper, Susan; Case, Tom; Roberts, Richard L; Shappell, Scott B; Moses, Harold L; Matusik, Robert J 2003. The loss of TGF-beta signaling promotes prostate cancer metastasis. Neoplasia (New York, N.Y.), 5 3, 267-77

Zhang, Ye; Yu, Jiang; Unni, Emmanual; Shao, Tsang C; Nan, Bicheng; Snabboon, Thiti; Kasper, Susan; Andriani, Francesca; Denner, Larry; Marcelli, Marco 2002. Monogene and polygene therapy for the treatment of experimental prostate cancers by use of apoptotic genes bax and bad driven by the prostate-specific promoter ARR(2)PB. Human gene therapy, 13 17, 2051-64

Chaurand, P; DaGue, B B; Ma, S; Kasper, S; Caprioli, R M 2001. Strain-based sequence variations and structure analysis of murine prostate specific spermine binding protein using mass spectrometry. Biochemistry, 40 32, 9725-33

Lareyre, J J; Winfrey, V P; Kasper, S; Ong, D E; Matusik, R J; Olson, G E; Orgebin-Crist, M C 2001. Gene duplication gives rise to a new 17-kilodalton lipocalin that shows epididymal region-specific expression and testicular factor(s) regulation. Endocrinology, 142 3, 1296-308

Masumori, N; Thomas, T Z; Chaurand, P; Case, T; Paul, M; Kasper, S; Caprioli, R M; Tsukamoto, T; Shappell, S B; Matusik, R J 2001. A probasin-large T antigen transgenic mouse line develops prostate adenocarcinoma and neuroendocrine carcinoma with metastatic potential. Cancer research, 61 5, 2239-49

Kasper, S; Matusik, R J 2000. Rat probasin: structure and function of an outlier lipocalin. Biochimica et biophysica acta, 1482 1-2, 249-58

Lareyre, J J; Reid, K; Nelson, C; Kasper, S; Rennie, P S; Orgebin-Crist, M C; Matusik, R J 2000. Characterization of an androgen-specific response region within the 5' flanking region of the murine epididymal retinoic acid binding protein gene. Biology of reproduction, 63 6, 1881-92

Zhang, J; Thomas, T Z; Kasper, S; Matusik, R J 2000. A small composite probasin promoter confers high levels of prostate-specific gene expression through regulation by androgens and glucocorticoids in vitro and in vivo. Endocrinology, 141 12, 4698-710

Brash, A R; Jisaka, M; Boeglin, W E; Chang, M S; Keeney, D S; Nanney, L B; Kasper, S; Matusik, R J; Olson, S J; Shappell, S B 1999. Investigation of a second 15S-lipoxygenase in humans and its expression in epithelial tissues. Advances in experimental medicine and biology, 469 , 83-9

Kasper, S; Rennie, P S; Bruchovsky, N; Lin, L; Cheng, H; Snoek, R; Dahlman-Wright, K; Gustafsson, J A; Shiu, R P; Sheppard, P C; Matusik, R J 1999. Selective activation of the probasin androgen-responsive region by steroid hormones. Journal of molecular endocrinology, 22 3, 313-25

Lareyre, J J; Thomas, T Z; Zheng, W L; Kasper, S; Ong, D E; Orgebin-Crist, M C; Matusik, R J 1999. A 5-kilobase pair promoter fragment of the murine epididymal retinoic acid-binding protein gene drives the tissue-specific, cell-specific, and androgen-regulated expression of a foreign gene in the epididymis of transgenic mice. The Journal of biological chemistry, 274 12, 8282-90

Shappell, S B; Boeglin, W E; Olson, S J; Kasper, S; Brash, A R 1999. 15-lipoxygenase-2 (15-LOX-2) is expressed in benign prostatic epithelium and reduced in prostate adenocarcinoma. The American journal of pathology, 155 1, 235-45

Kasper, S; Sheppard, P C; Yan, Y; Pettigrew, N; Borowsky, A D; Prins, G S; Dodd, J G; Duckworth, M L; Matusik, R J 1998. Development, progression, and androgen-dependence of prostate tumors in probasin-large T antigen transgenic mice: a model for prostate cancer. Laboratory investigation; a journal of technical methods and pathology, 78 6, i-xv

Lareyre, J J; Mattéi, M G; Kasper, S; Newcomer, M E; Ong, D E; Matusik, R J; Orgebin-Crist, M C 1998. Structure and putative function of a murine epididymal retinoic acid-binding protein (mE-RABP). Journal of reproduction and fertility. Supplement, 53 , 59-65

Lareyre, J J; Mattéi, M G; Kasper, S; Ong, D E; Matusik, R J; Orgebin-Crist, M C 1998. Genomic organization and chromosomal localization of the murine epididymal retinoic acid-binding protein (mE-RABP) gene. Molecular reproduction and development, 50 4, 387-95

Lareyre, J J; Zheng, W L; Zhao, G Q; Kasper, S; Newcomer, M E; Matusik, R J; Ong, D E; Orgebin-Crist, M C 1998. Molecular cloning and hormonal regulation of a murine epididymal retinoic acid-binding protein messenger ribonucleic acid. Endocrinology, 139 6, 2971-81

Metts, J C; Kotkin, L; Kasper, S; Shyr, Y; Adams, M C; Brock, J W 1997. Genital malformations and coexistent urinary tract or spinal anomalies in patients with imperforate anus. The Journal of urology, 158 3 Pt 2, 1298-300

Yan, Y; Sheppard, P C; Kasper, S; Lin, L; Hoare, S; Kapoor, A; Dodd, J G; Duckworth, M L; Matusik, R J 1997. Large fragment of the probasin promoter targets high levels of transgene expression to the prostate of transgenic mice. The Prostate, 32 2, 129-39

Kasper, S; Rennie, P S; Bruchovsky, N; Sheppard, P C; Cheng, H; Lin, L; Shiu, R P; Snoek, R; Matusik, R J 1994. Cooperative binding of androgen receptors to two DNA sequences is required for androgen induction of the probasin gene. The Journal of biological chemistry, 269 50, 31763-9

Leite, V; Vrontakis, M E; Kasper, S; Friesen, H G 1993. Bromocriptine inhibits galanin gene expression in the rat pituitary gland. Molecular and cellular neurosciences, 4 5, 418-23

Kasper, S; Popescu, R A; Torsello, A; Vrontakis, M E; Ikejiani, C; Friesen, H G 1992. Tissue-specific regulation of vasoactive intestinal peptide messenger ribonucleic acid levels by estrogen in the rat. Endocrinology, 130 4, 1796-801

Fink, J S; Verhave, M; Kasper, S; Tsukada, T; Mandel, G; Goodman, R H 1988. The CGTCA sequence motif is essential for biological activity of the vasoactive intestinal peptide gene cAMP-regulated enhancer. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 85 18, 6662-6

Kasper, S; Friesen, H G 1986. Human pituitary tissue secretes a potent growth factor for chondrocyte proliferation. The Journal of clinical endocrinology and metabolism, 62 1, 70-6

Rowe, J M; Kasper, S; Shiu, R P; Friesen, H G 1986. Purification and characterization of a human mammary tumor-derived growth factor. Cancer research, 46 3, 1408-12

Kasper, S; Worsley, I G; Rowe, J M; Shiu, R P; Friesen, H G 1982. Chondrocyte growth factor from the human pituitary gland. The Journal of biological chemistry, 257 9, 5226-30

Zhou J.;Giridhar P.;Kasper S.;Papautsky I. 12-01-2013. Complete cell separation by modulating inertial force 2013 Transducers and Eurosensors XXVII: The 17th International Conference on Solid-State Sensors, Actuators and Microsystems, TRANSDUCERS and EUROSENSORS 2013, , 1535-1538

Nivedita N.;Giridhar P.;Kasper S.;Papautsky I. 12-01-2011. Sorting human prostate epithelial (HPET) cells in an inertial microfluidic device 15th International Conference on Miniaturized Systems for Chemistry and Life Sciences 2011, MicroTAS 2011, 2 , 1230-1232

Zhou J.;Giridhar P.;Kasper S.;Papautsky I. 12-01-2011. Extraction and enrichment of rare cells in a simple inertial microfluidic device 15th International Conference on Miniaturized Systems for Chemistry and Life Sciences 2011, MicroTAS 2011, 3 , 1906-1908

Kasper S. 12-01-2008. Exploring the origins of the normal prostate and prostate cancer stem cell (Stem Cell Reviews DOI: 1 Stem Cell Reviews, 4 4, 329

Zhou J.;Kasper S.;Papautsky I. 11-01-2013. Enhanced size-dependent trapping of particles using microvortices Microfluidics and Nanofluidics, 15 5, 611-623

Snoek R.;Rennie P.;Kasper S.;Matusik R.;Bruchovsky N. 11-01-1996. Induction of cell-free, in vitro transcription by recombinant androgen receptor peptides Journal of Steroid Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, 59 3-4, 243-250

Kasper S. 10-01-2007. Editorial Comment Journal of Urology, 178 4, 1288

Andriani F.;Nan B.;Yu J.;Li X.;Weigel N.;McPhaul M.;Kasper S.;Kagawa S.;Fang B.;Matusik R.;Denner L.;Marcelli M. 09-05-2001. Use of the probasin promoter ARR<inf>2</inf>PB to express bax in androgen receptor-posit Journal of the National Cancer Institute, 93 17, 1314-1324

Snoek R.;Bruchovsky N.;Kasper S.;Matusik R.;Gleave M.;Sato N.;Mawji N.;Rennie P. 09-01-1998. Differential transactivation by the androgen receptor in prostate cancer cells Prostate, 36 4, 256-263

Zhou J.;Giridhar P.;Kasper S.;Papautsky I. 07-01-2014. Modulation of rotation-induced lift force for cell filtration in a low aspect ratio microchannel Biomicrofluidics, 8 4,

Kasper S.;Sheppard P.;Yan Y.;Pettigrew N.;Borowsky A.;Prins G.;Dodd J.;Duckworth M.;Matusik R. 06-01-1998. Erratum: Development, progression, and androgen-dependence of prostate tumors in probasin-large T an Laboratory Investigation, 78 6,

Williams K.;Giridhar P.;Kasper S. 04-19-2016. CD44 integrates signaling in stem cell microenvironments Role of Cancer Stem Cells in Cancer Biology and Therapy, , 129-150

Leite V.;Vrontakis M.;Kasper S.;Friesen H. 04-01-1993. Bromocriptine inhibits galanin gene expression in the rat pituitary gland Molecular and Cellular Neuroscience, 4 5, 418-423

Shao T.;Li H.;Kasper S.;Matusik R.;Ittmann M.;Cunningham G. 03-01-2006. Comparison of the growth-promoting effects of testosterone and 7-?-methyl-19-nor-testosterone (MENT) Prostate, 66 4, 369-376

Bai G.E.;Kasper S.;Matusik R.J.;Rennie P.S.;Moshier J.A.;Krongrad A. 03-01-1998. Androgen regulation of the human ornithine decarboxylase promoter in prostate cancer cells Journal of Andrology, 19 2, 127-135

Zhou J.;Giridhar P.;Kasper S.;Papautsky I. 01-01-2013. Modulation of aspect ratio for complete separation in an inertial microfluidic channel Lab on a Chip, 13 10, 1919-1929

Masumori N.;Tsuchiya K.;Tu W.;Lee C.;Kasper S.;Tsukamoto T.;Shappell S.;Matusik R. 01-01-2004. An allograft model of androgen independent prostatic neuroendocrine carcinoma derived from a large p Journal of Urology, 171 1, 439-442