“Chronic IL-1 Exposure Promotes Prostate Cancer Androgen Receptor Independence” by Dr. Nikki Delk

Abstract: Chronic inflammation drives cancer progression. We find that chronic exposure to the inflammatory cytokine, interleukin-1 (IL-1) reduces prostate cancer cell dependence on the therapeutic target, androgen receptor (AR). Thus, IL-1 chronic inflammation renders prostate cancer cells treatment-resistant.

Dr. Nikki Delk, is an Assistant Professor in Biological Sciences at The University of Texas at Dallas. Her lab studies inflammation-induced breast and prostate cancer progression and treatment resistance. After receiving a bachelor’s in math from Georgetown University, Delk was commissioned as an Air Force Officer where she served for 4 years before obtaining her doctored in molecular biology from Rice University in order to pursue my childhood dream to be a cancer biologist. She was a postdoctoral fellow at MD Anderson Cancer Center and faculty fellow at Rice University before joining the faculty at UT Dallas.

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