In This Section

Michael Bromberg, MD, PhD

Chief, Section of Hematology
Professor, Medicine
Professor, Sol Sherry Thrombosis Research Center

Michael Bromberg
For Patients
Contact Information

Contact Information

Phone

215-707-4403

Fax

215-707-2783
About Me

Research Interests

My laboratory examines the molecular mechanisms that promote tumor growth and metastasis and specifically focuses on the role of tissue factor (TF) in these processes.   TF is a 47 kDa transmembrane glycoprotein that complexes with factor VII/VIIa to initiate blood coagulation.  Studies carried out in our laboratory and by others have shown that a wide variety of tumor cells express TF.   We showed that transfection with the cDNA encoding human TF increased the metastatic potential of a human melanoma cell line with low endogenous expression of TF and low metastatic potential in immunocompromised mice. These results indicated that TF promotes tumor metastasis.   Further studies by our laboratory have shown that both the cytoplasmic domain of the molecule, which is not involved in blood coagulation, and the extracellular domain, in which procoagulant activity is localized, are required for the full metastatic effect of TF. However, the mechanism by which TF promotes metastasis is not fully understood.

 

We are currently examining the functions of extracellular and cytoplasmic domains of TF in metastasis as well as determining the step(s) in the metastatic pathway that are promoted by TF. TF has also been implicated in the process of angiogenesis, a critical step in the metastatic pathway. Other laboratories have shown a regulatory interaction between TF and vascular endothelial cell growth factor (VEGF). Our other area of investigation involves the interaction between TF and VEGF. Specifically, we are examining whether TF and VEGF function in an autocrine fashion, whereby VEGF secreted by a tumor activates the VEGF receptors of tumor cells to induce TF expression, increase cell motility, and enhance tumor growth and metastatic potential. These studies involving the mechanism by which TF promotes tumor progression and the interaction between TF and VEGF might provide for the development of novel strategies to prevent tumor growth and inhibit metastasis.

Education, Training & Credentials

Educational Background

  • Research Fellowship, Yale University School of Medicine, 1995
  • Fellowship, Hematology and Oncology, Yale University School of Medicine, 1995
  • Internship and Residency, Internal Medicine, Temple University Hospital, 1991
  • MD, Medicine, Lewis Katz School of Medicine at Temple University, 1988
  • PhD, Pharmacology, Temple University, 1984
  • BS, Chemistry, University of Delaware, Newark, DE, 1978
Publications

Digital Bibliography

View PubMed Publications