Department of Pathology & Laboratory Medicine
Amy Noffsinger, M.D.University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, M.D., 1989
Dr. Amy Noffsinger’s laboratory is focused primarily on developing an understanding of the mechanisms that lead to the development of carcinoma in the gastrointestinal tract. Major areas of interest include characterization of the molecular genetic steps that play a role in carcinogenesis in various sites, as well as pathophysiologic mechanisms underlying the development of these molecular genetic abnormalities. They are additionally interested in developing an understanding of how these markers can be used to determine patient prognosis, and therapeutic strategies. One of Dr. Noffsinger’s major current interests is in characterizing the molecular changes that underlie neoplastic progression in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The IBD patient has an increased risk for colorectal cancer that continues to increase during his or her lifetime. They have data that suggest that the colonic mucosa of some patients with long-standing IBD contains molecular alterations that could interfere with the fidelity of nuclear DNA repair mechanisms in the colonic epithelium. These DNA repair defects could lead to the development of genetic instability, and could predispose large areas of the colonic mucosa to the acquisition of mutations or other abnormalities in genes known to be involved in the genesis of colon cancer. An additional area of major interest in the laboratory is in developing an understanding of the molecular alterations that underlie carcinogenesis in the stomach. Dr. Noffsinger’s experimental approach to these problems involves examination of oncogenes, tumor suppressor genes, clonality and microsatellite instability. Standard molecular biologic techniques are routinely combined with immunohistochemistry and histopathology to provide a broad picture of the biology of these cancers.
Dr. Noffsinger serves as the Director of Surgical Pathology and functions as an active surgical pathologist.
Recent Publications
- Noffsinger A, Kretschmer S, Belli J, Fenoglio-Preiser CM. Microsatellite instability is uncommon in Crohn's colitis and ileitis, Dig Dis Sci 45:378-384, 2000.
- Dai W, Li Y, Ouyang B, Pan H, Reissmann P, Li J, Wiest J, Stambrook P, Gluckman J, Noffsinger A, Bejarano P. PRK, a cell cycle gene localized to 8p21, is downregulated in head and neck cancer. Genes Chrom Cancer 27:332-336, 2000.
- Fogt F, Urbanski SJ, Sanders ME, Furth EE, Zimmerman RL, Deren JJ, Noffsinger AE, Vortmeyer AO, Hartmann CJ, Odze RL, Brown CA. Distinction between dysplasia-associated lesion or mass (DALM) and adenoma in patients with ulcerative colitis, Hum Pathol 31:288-291, 2000.
- Lyda M, Noffsinger A, Belli J, Fenoglio-Preiser CM. Microsatellite instability and k-ras mutations in patients with ulcerative colitis, Hum Pathol 31:665-671, 2000.
- Shepherd T, Tolbert D, Benedetti J, Macdonald J, Stemmerman G, Wiest J, DeVoe, Miller MA, Wang J, Noffsinger A, Fenoglio-Preiser C. Alterations in exon 4 of the p53 gene in gastric cancer. Gastroenterology, 118:1039-1044, 2000.
- Odze RD, Brown CA, Hartmann CJ, Noffsinger AE, Fogt, F. Genetic alterations in chronic ulcerative colitis-associated adenoma-like DALMs are similar to non-colitic sporadic adenomas, Am J Surg Pathol 24:1209-1216, 2000.
- Brown MR, Noffsinger A, First MR, Penn I, Husseinzadeh N. HPV subtype analysis in lower genital tract neoplasms of female renal transplant recipients. Gynecol. Oncol 79:220-224, 2000.
- Stemmermann GN, Noffsinger AE, Fenoglio-Preiser, CM. Systemic oncology of the upper gastrointestinal tract. In: Handbook of Oncology, Scientific American Press, in press.
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