The mammary gland is an organ that serves as an excellent developmental model in which to study the mechanisms controlling proliferation, differentiation, cell death and cancer. The adult tissue-specific stem cells of the mammary gland are responsible for the generation of different functional cell types within the gland, and are believed to be the origin of breast cancer. My interests include the signalling pathways that regulate differentiation and stem cell function.

The projects in my laboratory focus on two major aspects: mammary gland development and breast cancer. The signal transduction pathway of prolactin, a hormone responsible for the growth and differentiation of the mammary gland during pregnancy and lactation is central to both areas. The target genes of this pathway are involved in mammary gland development as well as cancer progression. We are looking for novel target genes expressed in the mammary gland, and are performing functional analysis with regard to normal mammary gland development and breast cancer progression.

Research Interests

Google Scholar Link
Garcia AE, Lai B, Gopinathan SG, Harris H, Shemanko CS, Jalilehvand F. Nuclear localization of dirhodium (II) complexes in breast cancer cells by X-ray fluorescence microscopy. Chemical Communications. 2019. DOI: 10.1039/C9CC00521H
Karayazi Atici Ö, Urbanska A, Gopinathan SG, Boutillon F, Goffin V, Shemanko CS. ATM Is Required for the Prolactin-Induced HSP90-Mediated Increase in Cellular Viability and Clonogenic Growth After DNA Damage. Endocrinology. 2018 Feb 1;159(2):907-930. DOI: 10.1210/en.2017-00652
Karayazi-Atici Ö, Urbanska A, Gopinathan SG, Boutillon F, Goffin V, Shemanko CS. ATM is required for the prolactin-induced HSP90-mediated increase in cellular viability and clonogenic growth after DNA damage. Endocrinology, en.2017-00652, https://doi.org/10.1210/en.2017-00652 Published:24 November 2017
Shemanko CS, Cong YY, Forsyth A. What is Breast in the Bone? International Journal of Medical Science 2016 17(10): 1764 doi:10.3390/ijms17101764
Shemanko, CS. Prolactin receptor in breast cancer: marker for metastatic risk. Invited Review Journal of Molecular Endocrinology 2016 57 (4): R153-R165 http://dx.doi.org/10.1530/JME-16-0150
Ashley Sutherland; Amanda Forsyth; Yingying Cong; Laurel Grant; Tzu-Hua Juan; Jae K. Lee; Alexander Klimowicz; Stephanie K. Petrillo; Jinghui Hu; Angela Chan; Florence Boutillon; Vincent Goffin; Cay Egan; Patricia A. Tang; Li Cai; Don Morris; Anthony Magliocco; Carrie S. Shemanko. (2015) The Role of Prolactin in Bone Metastasis and Breast Cancer Cell-Mediated Osteoclast Differentiation. JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute 2016 108 (3): djv338. http://jnci.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/djv338?ijkey=KE2Msz1n5IvI6bm&keytype=ref

Nigel T. Brockton, Stephanie J. Gill, Stephanie L. Laborge, Alexander H. G. Paterson, Linda S. Cook,
Hans J. Vogel, Carrie S. Shemanko, David A. Hanley, Anthony M. Magliocco and Christine M. Friedenreich (2015) The Breast Cancer to Bone (B2B) Metastases Research Program: a multi-disciplinary investigation of bone metastases from breast cancer. BMC Cancer (2015) 15:512
DOI 10.1186/s12885-015-1528-y
Radhakrishnan A, Raju R, Tuladhar N, Subbannayya T, Thomas JK,, Goel R, Telikicherla D, Palapetta SM, Mathur PP, Venkatesh DD, Urmila KK, Rahiman BA, Harsha HC, Prasad TSK, Shemanko C, Pandey A and Chatterjee A. Prolactin signaling pathway resource. J Cell Commun Signal. 2012 Aug;6(3):169-73. PMC link
Perotti C, Karayazi Ö, Moffat S and Shemanko CS. Bone morphogenetic protein receptor-1a is required for mammary epithelial cell function. In Vitro Cell Dev Biol Anim. 2012 Jun;48(6):377-84 PMC link
Shemanko CS. The response of breast cancer cells to chemotherapeutic agents and other anti-cancer treatments. In: Stem cells: organogenesis and cancer, Ed Shree Singh, Research Signpost/ Transworld Research Network Press. 2010:153-169, ISBN # is 978-81-7895-487-5
Perotti C, Wiedl, T, Florin, L., Reuter, H., Moffat, S., Silbermann, M., Hahn, M., Angel, P, Shemanko CS. Characterization of mammary epithelial cell line HC11 using the NIA 15k gene array reveals potential regulators of the undifferentiated and differentiated phenotypes. Differentiation, 2009; 78:269-282 Pubmed abstract
Perotti C, Liu R, Parusel C, Böcher N, Schultz J, Bork P, Pfitzner E, Groner B, Shemanko CS. Prolactin induces the expression of the heat shock protein 90a (HSP90a) gene and regulates apoptosis. Breast Cancer Research, 2008; 10(6):R94 Full text
Brill B, Boecher, N, Groner. B, Shemanko CS. A sparing procedure to clear the mouse mammary fat pad of epithelial components for transplantation analysis. Lab Animal, 2008; 42:104-110 Pubmed abstract
Shemanko CS. Mammary epithelial stem and progenitor cells and the prolactin pathway. Frontiers in Bioscience, 2008 13:3940-3950 Pubmed abstract
Rugg EL, Horn HM, Smith FJ, Wilson NJ, Magee G, Shemanko CS, Tidman MJ, Lane EB. Epidermolysis bullosa simplex in Scotland is caused by a spectrum of keratin mutations. J Investig Dermatol, 2007; Mar;127(3):574-80 Full text
Desrivieres S, Prinz T., Palomino-Laria N.C., Meyer, M., Boehm G., Schäfer J., Neumann T., Shemanko CS*, Groner B*, Comparative proteomic analysis of proliferating and functionally differentiated mammary epithelial cells. Molecular and Cellular Proteomics. 2003; 2:1039-1054 Full text
McGrath, J. A., McMillan, J. R., Shemanko, C. S., Runswick, S. K., Leigh, I. M., Lane, E. B., Garrod, D. R., Eady, R. A.. (1997). Mutations in the plakophilin 1 gene result in ectodermal dysplasia/skin fragility syndrome. Nat Genet 17, 240-4 Pubmed abstract

Book Chapters

Shemanko CS. The response of breast cancer cells to chemotherapeutic agents and other anti-cancer treatments. In: Stem cells: organogenesis and cancer, Ed Shree Singh, Research Signpost/ Transworld Research Network Press. 2010:153-169, ISBN # is 978-81-7895-487-5