1. Role: Department Chairperson. Scope: Department. Description: Served as Chair of the Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences. Responsible for the administration of the Department. Date: 2000.
J. Thomas Pento, Ph.D.
Professor Emeritus
Pharmaceutical Sciences
Phone (405) 271-6593 x47244
Fax (405) 271-7505
Office CPB 325
Email tom-pento@ouhsc.edu
Research
Breast cancer is the most common type of cancer found in women and results in the death of approximately 46,000 women each year in the US. An important characteristic of tumor malignancy and the major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients with cancer is the ability of tumor cells to metastasize and spread to distant sites in the body. Thus, a major focus of the research in my laboratory over the past 40 years has been the development of chemopreventive strategies designed to control or prevent the metastatic process. In this research we have developed unique models of cellular metastasis which are employed to study tumor cell motility and the metastatic process; compared the antimetastatic activity of candidate antiestrogenic compounds using human breast cancer cell lines; examined mechanisms of breast cancer cell motility and changes in tumor cell morphology; identified endogenous growth factors that enhance tumor cell motility and metastasis and identified novel therapeutic targets for the treatment or prevention of cancer metastasis.
Based on the results of our previous studies with Keratinocyte Growth Factor (KGF), and the existing literature, it appears that KGF would be an ideal therapeutic target, since it is produced by stromal tissue surrounding breast tumors, appears to be involved in premalignant progression of breast epithelial cells and may act as an early signal in tumor cell proliferation and the initiation of the metastatic process. We have shown that KGF produces massive stimulation of human breast cancer cells in culture and metastatic development in nude mouse xenografts. These results indicate that KGF is an early signal in the progression and metastatic development of breast cancer, and thus inhibition of KGF/KGFR and related signal transduction would be an ideal and novel therapeutic target.
Publications & Presentations
- 1. Pento J. DNA methylation in cancer development and progression. . Drugs of the Future. 2017; 42 : 699-702
2. Pento J. Monoclonal antibodies for the treatment of cancer. Anticancer Res. 2017; 47 : 4935-5939
3. Pento J T. Xenograft model for the identification of inhibitors of cancer progression and metastasis. Drugs of the Future. 2015; 40 : 109-115
4. Kessinger J W, Mehta M, Lerner M R, Brackett D J, Brueggemeier R W, Li P K, Pento J T. Oncolytic potential of a novel KGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor using a KGFR-selective breast cancer xenograft model. Anticancer Research. 2015; 35 : 47-52
5. Pento J T. Development of aquaporin inhibitorsfor the treatment of cancer and other diseases. Drugs of the Future. 2015; 40 : 21-25
Grants
- 1. Selective KGFR Antagonists for the prevention of cancer metastasis. NIH. Start Date: 2008. End Date: 2010.
Awards and Honors
- 1. Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation. PRESIDENTIAL PROFESSORSHIP. Date: 1996.
2. Kappa Psi. Kappa Psi OUTSTANDING PROFESSOR AWARD. Date: 1994.
Education
- 1. Degree: Ph D. University of Missouri. Date: 1970.
2. Degree: MS. West Virginia University. Date: 1967.
3. Degree: BA. West Virginia University. Date: 1965.
Administrative Assignments
2. Role: Department Chairperson. Scope: Department. Description: Served as head of the Division of Medicinal Chemistry and Pharmacodynamics. Responsible for the administration of this academic division of the College of Pharmacy. Date: 1982.
3. Role: Department Chairperson. Scope: Department. Description: Served as Sction Chief, Responsible for the administration of the Division of Phramacodynamics and Toxicology. Date: 1979.