Dr. Sell's laboratory is investigating bone marrow derived stem cells to determine if these cells give rise to breast or liver cancer in animals. The lab is also investigating the properties of breast cancer stem cells from transgenic mice and if growth of these can be blocked by small molecular inhibitors or inhibitory RNA. Additionally, Dr. Sell is working to determine if aging can be accelerated in normal mice by transplantation of bone marrow cells from prematurely aging mice and differences in young and old bone marrow in determining survival after transplantation. Beyond cancer and aging, Dr. Sell is examining the role of a glutathione S-transferase isofrom in aflatoxin metabolism using a knockout mouse model developed in his laboratory.
Ilic Z, Crawford D, Egner PA, Sell S. Glutathione-S-transferase A3 knockout mice are sensitive to acute cytotoxic and genotoxic effects of aflatoxin B1. Toxicol Appl Pharmacol. 2010 Feb 1;242(3):241-6.
Guest I, Ilic Z, Ma J, Grant D, Glinsky G, Sell S. Direct and indirect contribution of bone marrow-derived cells to cancer. Int J Cancer. 2009 Oct 8.
Sell S, Leffert HL. Liver cancer stem cells. J Clin Oncol. 2008 Jun 10;26(17):2800-5. Review. Erratum in: J Clin Oncol. 2008 Aug 1;26(22): 3819.
Swenson ES, Guest I, Ilic Z, Mazzeo-Helgevold M, Lizardi P, Hardiman C, Sell S, Krause DS. Hepatocyte nuclear factor-1 as marker of epithelial phenotype reveals marrow-derived hepatocytes, but not duct cells, after liver injury in mice. Stem Cells. 2008 Jul;26(7):1768-77. Epub 2008 May 8.
Sell S. Alpha-fetoprotein, stem cells and cancer: how study of the production of alpha-fetoprotein during chemical hepatocarcinogenesis led to reaffirmation of the stem cell theory of cancer. Tumour Biol. 2008;29(3):161-80.