Headshot of Gary Hammer

Research

Research projects are aimed at elucidating the mechanisms by which growth factor signaling and transcriptional programs initiate adrenal-specific growth and differentiation with an emphasis on dysregulated growth of adrenocortical stem/progenitor cells in development and cancer.

Gary D. Hammer, M.D., Ph.D. serves as the Director of the Endocrine Oncology Program in the Comprehensive Cancer Center at UM where he holds the Millie Schembechler Professorship inAdrenal Cancer. Under his leadership, the Program was selected as one of five inaugural Destination Programs singled out for research and clinical excellence at UMHS. The Program is uniquely recognized as an international center of excellence for the treatment of adrenal cancer.

He is also the newly appointed Director of the University’s Center for Organogenesis that brings together groups and faculty – basic scientists and clinicians – focused on organ-specific problems spanning developmental disorders to cancer. Strong relationships with the stem cell community, tissue and biomedical engineering and clinical programs provide unparalleled opportunity for translational partnerships.

Research projects in his own laboratory are aimed at elucidating the mechanisms by which growth factor signaling and transcriptional programs initiate adrenal-specific growth and differentiation with an emphasis on dysregulated growth of adrenocortical stem/progenitor cells in development and cancer. This work has led to the development of new national and international therapeutic trials with biological-based therapies for adrenal diseases that target the molecular defects in stem cells while sparing normal tissue.

The Hammer Lab maintains a website of protocols, members, and materials. Below are individuals who are part of the Hammer lab, see lab website for additional lab members.



Publications

Representative Publications

Xu, B, Yang, W-H, Gerin, I, Hu, C-D, Hammer, GD and Koenig, RJ. DAX-1 and Steroid Receptor RNA Activator (SRA) Function as Transcriptional Coactivators for Steroidogenic Factor-1 in Steroidogenesis. Molecular and Cellular Biology 29(7):1719-34 (2009)

 

Kim AC, Barlaskar FM, Heaton JH, Else T, Kelly VR, Krill KT, Scheys JO, Simon DP, Trovato A, Yang W-H, and Hammer GD.  In Search of Adrenocortical Stem and Progenitor Cells.  (invited, peer-reviewed)  Endocrine Reviews 30 (3): 241-263 (2009)

 

Else, T, Kim, AC, Trovoto, A, Ferguson, DO, Lucas, PC and Hammer, GD.  Genetic p53 deficiency partially rescues adrencortial dysplasia (acd) phenotype at the expense of increased tumorigenicity.  Cancer Cell 15(6): 465-476 (2009)

 

Strosberg, JR, Hammer, GD and Doherty, GM. Management of Adrenocortical Carcinoma. (invited, peer-reviewed) Journal of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network 7(7):752-9 (2009)

 

Haluska P, Worden F, Olmos D, Yinv D, Schteingart D, Batzel GN, Paccagnella ML, de Bono JS, Richardson RL, Gualberto AG and Hammer GD.  Safety, tolerability, and pharmacokinetics of the anti-IGF-1R monoclonal antibody CP-751,871 in patients with refractory adrenocortical carcinoma.  Cancer Chemotherapy and Pharmacology 65(4):765-73 (2010)

 

Looyenga, BD, Wiaters, E, Vale, WW and Hammer GD. Inhibin-A Antagonizes TGFβ2 Signaling by Downregulating Cell Surface Expression of the TGFβ Co-receptor Betaglycan. Molecular Endocrinology 24(3): 608-620 (2010).

 

Watson, RL, Spalding, AC, Zielske, SP, Morgan, , A. Kim, M. Bommer, GT, Eldar-Finkelman, H, Giordano, T, Fearon, ER, Hammer, GD Lawrence, TS and Ben-Josef, E. GSK3b and b-catenin Modulate Radiation Cytotoxicity in Pancreatic Cancer.  Neoplasia 12(5): 357-365 (2010).

 

Garcia-Perez, JL, Morell, M, Scheys, JO, Kulpa, DA, Morell, S, Carter, CC, Hammer, GD, Collins, KL, O’Shea, KS, Menendez, P and Moran JV.  Efficient and reversible epigenetic silencing of LINE-1 retrotransposition events in embryonic carcinoma cells. Nature (accepted)

 

Miller BS, Ammori JB, Gauger PG, Broome JT, Hammer GD, Doherty GM. Laparoscopic resection is inappropriate in patients with known or suspected adrenocortical carcinoma. World J Surg. 34(6):1380-5 (2010)

 

10.  Miller BS Gauger PG, Hammer GD, Giordano TJ and Doherty GM (2010) Ann Arbor Proposal for modification of the ENSAT staging system for adrenocortical carcinoma using tumor grade, Langebeck's Archives of Surgery 10.1007/s00423-010-0698-y

 

11.  Sabolch A.,  Feng, M. Griffith K,  Hammer, G,   Doherty G. and Ben-Josef E. Adjuvant and Definitive Radiotherapy for Adrenocortical Carcinoma. Int. J. Radiation Oncology Biol. Phys., (Accepted)

 

12.  Kelly, VR, Xu, B, Koenig, RJ and Hammer, GD.  Dax1 upregulates OCT4 expression in mouse embryonic stem cells via LRH-1 and SRA. Molecular Endocrinology (Accdepted)

 

 

Peer Reviewed Articles Submitted for Publication

 

Kelly, VR and Hammer, GD.  LRH and Nanog regulate Dax1 transcription in mouse embryonic stem cells.  Molecular and Cellular Endocrinology (submitted)

 

Wood, MA and Hammer, GD. Adrenocortical Stem and Progenitor Cells: Unifying Model of Two Proposed Origins.  Molecular and Cellular Endcorinology (Submitted)

 

Scheys, JOA and Hammer, GD. Evidence of adrenal failure in aging Dax1-deficient mice. Endocrinology (submitted)