Alicia M. Viloria-Petit

BSc, MSc Venezula, PhD Toronto

 aviloria@uoguelph.ca
 Office: Biomed 3647
 519-824-4120 Ext. 54925

 Lab: Biomed 3649
 519-824-4120 Ext. 54685

Current Graduate Students

• Aaron Dhillon - MSc
• Danny Carreira - MBS
• Arnold Chau - MBS
• Mariana Trigo Chapou - MBS
• Deesha Gaur - MBS
• Daxime Genier - MBS
• Sarai Gomez Perez - MBS

Geordon Avery-Cooper, B.Sc. (Guelph)
The regulation of integrin expression/signalling by TGFbeta, and its possible role in apoptosis of normal murine mammary gland cells.
- M.Sc. candidate - GRADUATED S'11

Vritika Batura, B.Sc.H. (Toronto)
- MBS candidate - GRADUATED S'15

Meghan Doerr, B.Sc. (Guelph)
Investigating the role of different TGFB isoforms and oxygen levels on endothelial cell behavior in an angiogenic context .
- M.Sc. candidate - GRADUATED F'14

Richard Gilbert, B.A.S.Hons. (Guelph)
An investigation of the role of transforming growth factor beta (TGFβ) during multi-tissue regeneration.
- M.Sc. candidate - GRADUATED W'13

Raishard Haynes, B.Sc.H. (Guelph)
Establishing the link between Par6 and PI3K signaling and its potential involvement in TGF beta-induced apoptosis.
- MBS candidate - GRADUATED F'14

Divya Karsanji, B.Sc.H. (Waterloo)
Investigation of the p38 Mitogen activated protein kinase(MAPK) pathway in TGF-beta mediated apoptosis through the non-canonical Par6 pathway.
- M.Sc. candidate (course based), GRADUATED S'11

Amy Richard, B.Sc. (Guelph)
Investigating the dose-dependent signaling of transforming growth factor-beta (TGFβ) in bovine aortic endothelial cells.
- M.Sc. candidate - GRADUATED F'12

Mahmoud Youssef, B.Sc. (Waterloo)
Investigating the Potential Role of NF-κB in Modulating the Apoptotic Response to TGF-β In Normal Murine Mammary Cells.
- MBS candidate - GRADUATED S'12

Sonja Zours, B.Sc.H. (Guelph)
In vitro characterization of endothelial-mesenchymal transition (EnMT) in response to transforming growth factor-beta (TGFβ) and its potential involvement in angiogenesis.
- M.Sc. candidate - GRADUATED F'12

Selected Publications

Selected Original Research Articles and Reviews

• Leonel C., Ferraz Borin T., de Carvalho Ferreira L., Gobbe Moscheta M., Chaim Bajgelman M., Viloria-Petit A., Zuccari D.A. Inhibition of epithelial-mesenchymal transition and metastasis by combined TGF-beta knockdown and metmorfin treatment in a canine mammary cancer xenograft model. Breast Cancer Res. Under Review.
• Adham S.A.I., Al Rawahi H., Al Moundhri M.S., Viloria-Petit A., Coomber B.L. Modeling of hypo-hyperglycemia and their impact on breast cancer progression related molecules. PloS One 9(11): e113103, 2014.
• Avery-Cooper G., Gilbert R.W.D., Youssef M., Richard A., Huether P., Viloria-Petit A. Par6 is an essential mediator of apoptotic response to transforming growth factor beta in NMuMG immortalized mammary cells. Cancer Cell Int 14(1): 19, 2014.
• Bane A.L., Viloria-Petit A., Mulligan A-M., Pinnaduwage D., Coomber B.L., O’Malley F.P., Andrulis I.L. Clinical-Pathological Significance of Cancer Stem Cell Marker expression in Familial Breast Cancers. Breast Cancer Res Treat 140(1): 195-205, 2013.
• Gilbert R., Vickaryous M., Viloria-Petit A. Characterization of TGFβ signaling during multi-tissue regeneration in the leopard gecko (Eublepharis macularius). Dev Dyn242: 886-896, 2013.
• Viloria-Petit, A.*, Richard A., Zours S., Jarad M., Coomber B.L.*  Role of transforming growth factor-b in angiogenesis. Chapter 2 in Metha J.L. and Dhalla N.S. (eds.), Biochemical Basis and Therapeutic Implications of Angiogenesis, Advances in Biochemistry in Health and Disease 6, 2013. *Co-corresponding authors.
• Luga V., Zhang L., Viloria-Petit A.M., Ogunjimi A.A., Nasser Hosein A., Buchanan M., Basik M., Wrana J.L. Exosomes Mediate Stromal Mobilization of Autocrine Wnt-Planar Cell Polarity Signaling in Breast Cancer Metastasis. Cell 151:1542-1556, 2012.
• Prinz R.D., Willis C.M., Viloria-Petit A., Klüppel M. Elimination of breast tumor-associated chondroitin sulfate promotes metastasis. Genet Mol Res 10(4): 3901-13, 2011.
• Kuczynski E.A., Viloria-Petit A., Coomber B.L. Colorectal carcinoma cell production of TGF-beta decreases expression of endothelial cell VEGFR-2. Cancer 117(24): 5601-11, 2011.
• Viloria-Petit A., Wrana J. L. The TGFb-Par6 pathway: Linking the Par complex to EMT and breast cancer progression. Cell Cycle 9(4): 623-624, 2010.
• Viloria-Petit A., David L., Jia J., Erdemir T., Bane A., Pinnaduwage D., Bose R., Moffat J., Roncari L., Narimatsu M., Wong J., Kerbel R.S., O’Malley F.P., Andrulis I.L., Wrana J.L. A role for the TGFb-Par6 polarity pathway in breast cancer progression. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 106: 14028-33, 2009.
• Barrios-Rodiles M*., Viloria-Petit A*., Brown K.R., Jurisica I., Wrana J.L.  High-throughput screening of protein interaction networks in the TGF-beta interactome: understanding the signalling mechanisms driving tumor progression, Chapter 18 in: Transforming growth factor-beta in cancer therapy, Volume 2. S.B. Jackowlew (ed), 2008. *Authors contributed equally.
• du Manoir J.M., Francia G., Man S., Mossoba M., Medin J.A., Viloria-Petit A., Hicklin D.J., Emmenegger U., Kerbel R.S. Strategies for delaying or treating in vivo acquired resistance to trastuzumab in human breast cancer xenografts. Clin Cancer Res 12: 904-16, 2006
• Viloria-Petit A., Rengifo-Calzado E. Anti-epidermal growth factor receptor antibody: Immunohistochemistry, Chapter 8 in: Handbook of Immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization of human carcinomas, Volume 3: Molecular genetics, liver carcinoma, and pancreatic carcinoma. M.A. Hayat (ed), p 79, 2005.
• Viloria-Petit A., Kerbel R.S. Acquired resistance to EGFR inhibitors: mechanisms and prevention strategies. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys 58: 914-926, 2004.
• Viloria-Petit A., Miquerol L., Yu J., Gertsenstein M., Sheehan C., May L., Kalas W., Lobe C., Nagy A., Kerbel R.S., Rak J. Contrasting effects of VEGF gene disruption in embryonic stem cells derived teratomas versus adult fibroblast cells. EMBO J 22: 4091-4102, 2003.
• Crombet T., Rak J., Perez R., Viloria-Petit A. Anti-proliferative, anti-angiogenic and pro-apoptotic activity of h-R3: a humanized anti EGFR antibody.  Int J Cancer 101: 567-575, 2002.
• Kerbel R.S., Viloria-Petit A., Klement G., Rak J. ‘Accidental’ anti-angiogenic drugs: anti-oncogene directed signal transduction inhibitors and conventional chemotherapeutic agents as examples. Eur J Cancer 36: 1248-1257, 2002.
• Viloria-Petit A., Crombet T., Jothy S., Bohlen P., Hicklin D., Schlaeppi J., Rak J., Kerbel R.S.  Acquired resistance to inhibitors of EGFR signaling: a role for altered tumor angiogenesis. Cancer Res 61: 5090-5101, 2001.
• Kerbel R.S., Viloria-Petit A., Okada F., Rak J.  The link between oncogenes, signal transduction therapy and tumor angiogenesis, Chapter 17 in: Tumor angiogenesis and microcirculation. Voest and D’Amore (ed), p 285, 2001.
• Kerbel R., Yu J., Tran J., Man S., Viloria-Petit A., Klement G., Coomber B., Rak J. Possible mechanisms of acquired resistance to anti-angiogenic drugs: implications for combination therapy.  Cancer Met Rev 20: 79-86, 2001.
• Lopez-Ocejo O*., Viloria-Petit A*., Bequet-Romero M., Mukhopadhyay D., Rak J., Kerbel R.S. Oncogenes and tumor angiogenesis: the HPV-16 E6 oncoprotein activates vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) gene promoter in a p53-independent manner. Oncogene 19: 4611-4620, 2000. *Authors contributed equally.
• Rak J., Mitsuhashi Y., Sheehan C., Tamir A., Viloria-Petit A., Filmus J., Mansour S.J., Ahn, N., Kerbel R.S.  Oncogenes and tumor angiogenesis: differential modes of vascular endothelial growth factor up-regulation in ras-transformed epithelial cells and fibroblasts. Cancer Res 60: 490-498, 2000.
• Kerbel R.S., Viloria-Petit, A., Okada F., Rak J. Establishing a link between oncogenes and tumor angiogenesis. Mol Med 4:286-295, 1998.
• Viloria Petit A.M., Rak J., Hung M-C., Rockwell P., Goldstein N., Fendly B., Kerbel R.S. Neutralizing antibodies against epidermal growth factor and ErbB-2/Neu receptor tyrosine kinases down-regulate vascular endothelial growth factor production by tumor cells in vitro and in vivo: angiogenic implications for signal transduction therapy of solid tumors. Am J Pathol 151: 1523-1530, 1997.
   
• Selected Abstracts (national and international conferences, last 5 years)
• Luu A., Schott C., Mutsaers A., Wood G., Viloria-Petit A. Prognostic value of activated Smad2 and TAZ levels in appendicular canine osteosarcoma: a pilot immunohistochemistry study in a tissue microarray. Word Veterinary Cancer Congress 2016, Foz do Iguassu, Brazil, May 2016. Accepted.
• Andrade A., Neogi P., Mutsaers A., Wood G., Viloria-Petit A. Characterization of the TGFbeta-TAZ signalling axis in canine osteosarcoma cell lines. 16th Annual McGill Biomedical Graduate Conference (AMBGC), Montreal, QC, Canada, March 2016.
• Mitz C., Dadgar S., Karsanji D., Muñoz Martinez R., Viloria-Petit A.  Par6 phosphorylation at Ser345 mediates invasiveness of HER2-transformed mammary cells. 2015 Canadian Cancer Research Conference, Montreal, QC, Canada, November 2015
• Bottaro Gelaleti G., Leonel C., Perassi-Jardim B.V., Ferreira L.C., Moschetta M.G., Borin T.F., Maschio L.B., Martins G.R., Viloria-Petit A.M., Zuccari D.A. Effectiveness of Melatonin, Il-25 and siRNA to IL-17B in growth control of breast cancer cell lines. 1st Immunotherapy of Cancer Conference, Munich, Germany, March 2014.
• Avery-Cooper G., Youssef M., Luchessi Montenegro M.S., Viloria-Petit, A.  Rescuing apoptosis sensitivity to TGFbeta in mammary cells: a role for non-canonical Par6 signaling. New Principal Investigators Meeting- CIHR Institute of Genetics. Mont Gabriel, QC, Canada, November 2013.
• Doerr M., Coomber B.L., Viloria-Petit A. The influence of isoform type and oxygen levels in the angiogenic response to TGFb: preliminary characterization of endothelial cell lines response to TGFb1/2.  2013 Canadian Cancer Research Conference, Toronto, ON, Canada, November 2013.
• Leonel, C., Zuccari D.A.P.C., Viloria-Petit A. Effect of Metformin on markers of epithelial mesenchymal transition induced by TGF-beta in mammary cells. 18th World Congress on Advances in Oncology and 16th International Symposium on Molecular Medicine, Hersonissos, Crete, Grece, October 2013.
• Gilbert R.W., Vickaryous M.K., Viloria-Petit A. Characterization of TGFb signaling during tail regeneration in the leopard gecko (Eublepharis macularis). Cellular Dynamics during development, regeneration and cancer. Niagara on the Lake, ON, Canada, June 2013.
• Avery-Cooper G., Youssef M., Gilbert R., Viloria-Petit A. An overactive Par6 pathway negative modulates cell survival signaling and promotes apoptosis during long-term exposure to TGFβ. Cellular Dynamics during development, regeneration and cancer. Niagara on the Lake, ON, Canada, June 2013.
• Gilbert R.W.D., Vickaryous M., Viloria-Petit, A. Characterization of TGFb signaling during multi-tissue regeneration in Eublepharis macularius. Canadian Society of Zoologists Annual Meeting, Guelph, ON, Canada, 2013.
• Gilbert R.W.D., Vickaryous M., Viloria-Petit, A. An investigation of the role of transforming growth factor beta (TGFb) during multi-tissue regeneration. Society for Developmental Biology Meeting, Montreal, QC, Canada, 2012.
• Richard A., Viloria-Petit, A. Investigating the dose-dependent signaling of Transforming Growth Factor-β in endothelial cells. Vasculata 2012, Nashville, TN, 2012.
• Zours S., Huether P., Viloria-Petit, A. Characterization of endothelial-mesenchymal transition (EndMT) in response to TGFβ in bovine aortic endothelial cells. Vasculata 2012, Nashville, TN, 2012.
• Wrana J., Luga V., Zhang L., Viloria-Petit A., Ogunjimi A., Nasser Hosein A., Buchanan M., Basik M. Mobilizing WNT planar cell polarity signalling in breast cancer metastasis. 30 Years of Wnt Signalling, Egmond aan Zee, Netherlands, 2012
• Luga V., Zhang L., Viloria-Petit A.M., Ogunjimi A., Wrana L. Fibroblast cells enhance breast cancer cell motility and metastasis via the Wnt11/planar cell polarity pathway. The Canadian Cancer Research Conference, Toronto, ON, Canada, #B28, 2011.
• Avery-Cooper G., Huether P., Viloria-Petit A.  An overactive Par6 pathway sensitizes mammary epithelial cells to transforming growth factor-beta induced apoptosis. Advances in Breast Cancer Research: Genetics, Biology and Clinical Applications, San Francisco, CA, USA, 2011.
• Luga V. Zhang L. Viloria-Petit A.M., Ogunjimi A., Wrana J.L. Fibroblast cells enhance breast cancer cell motility and metastasis via Wnt11/planar cell polarity pathway. Wnt2011, Los Angeles, CA, USA, 2011.
• Kuczynski E.A., Viloria-Petit A.M., Coomber B.L.  Colorectal carcinoma cell production of TGF-beta decreases expression of endothelial cell VEGFR-2. Montreal International Symposium on Angiogenesis and Metastasis (MISAM), Montreal, QC, Canada, 2011.
• Avery-Cooper G., Stephenson E., Viloria-Petit, A. The regulation of integrin expression/signaling by transforming growth factor-beta. 9th Conference on Signalling in Normal and Cancer Cells, Banff, AB, Canada, 2011.