Carrie Rinker-Schaeffer
· PhD, Professor of SurgeryUniversity of Chicago · Urology
Active 1991–2023
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About
Carrie W. Rinker-Schaeffer, PhD, is a Professor of Surgery at the University of Chicago. Her research focuses on the mechanisms of ovarian cancer metastasis, particularly the role of omental macrophages and milky spot structures in promoting ovarian cancer colonization of the omentum. She has contributed to understanding how chemokine ligands secreted by macrophages facilitate cancer cell colonization via CCR1, and her work includes developing models to study metastatic colonization and dormancy. Her research also explores molecular targets such as AXL in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and investigates the regulatory functions of proteins like SPOP in kidney cancer. Dr. Rinker-Schaeffer's work involves dissecting cancer cell-microenvironment interactions and utilizing transcriptional profiling to understand gene expression linked to metastasis suppression, with a focus on developing insights into cancer progression and potential therapeutic strategies.
Selected publications
Communications Biology · 2020-09-22 · 94 citations
articleOpen accessThe omentum is the most common site of ovarian cancer metastasis. Immune cell clusters called milky spots are found throughout the omentum. It is however unknown if these immune cells contribute to ovarian cancer metastasis. Here we report that omental macrophages promote the migration and colonization of ovarian cancer cells to the omentum through the secretion of chemokine ligands that interact with chemokine receptor 1 (CCR1). We found that depletion of macrophages reduces ovarian cancer colo…
2023-04-03
preprintOpen accessSenior author<div>Abstract<p>Mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 4/c-Jun NH<sub>2</sub>-terminal kinase kinase 1 (MKK4/JNKK1; hereafter referred to as MKK4) is a dual-specificity kinase with a critical role in regulating the activity of c-Jun NH<sub>2</sub>-terminal kinase and p38 kinases. We identified a novel biological function for MKK4 in the regulation of growth of ovarian and prostate cancer metastases. Clinical correlative studies showed that MKK4 protein levels…
2023-04-03
preprintOpen accessSenior authorSupplementary Figure S1 from Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinase 4/c-Jun NH<sub>2</sub>-Terminal Kinase Kinase 1 Protein Expression Is Subject to Translational Regulation in Prostate Cancer Cell Lines
2023-04-03
preprintOpen accessSenior author<div>Abstract<p>Mitogen-activated protein kinase kinase 4/c-Jun NH<sub>2</sub>-terminal kinase kinase 1 (MKK4/JNKK1; hereafter referred to as MKK4) is a dual-specificity kinase with a critical role in regulating the activity of c-Jun NH<sub>2</sub>-terminal kinase and p38 kinases. We identified a novel biological function for MKK4 in the regulation of growth of ovarian and prostate cancer metastases. Clinical correlative studies showed that MKK4 protein levels…
2023-04-03
preprintOpen accessSenior authorSupplementary Figure S1 from Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase Kinase 4/c-Jun NH<sub>2</sub>-Terminal Kinase Kinase 1 Protein Expression Is Subject to Translational Regulation in Prostate Cancer Cell Lines
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