Esta Sterneck is an Austrian molecular biologist researching the functions of the C/EBPδCEBPD transcription factor as

tumor suppressor A tumor suppressor gene (TSG), or anti-oncogene, is a gene that regulates a cell during cell division and replication. If the cell grows uncontrollably, it will result in cancer. When a tumor suppressor gene is mutated, it results in a loss or re ...

as well as tumor promoter in breast

epithelial cells Epithelium or epithelial tissue is one of the four basic types of animal tissue, along with connective tissue, muscle tissue and nervous tissue. It is a thin, continuous, protective layer of compactly packed cells with a little intercell ...

and cells of the

tumor microenvironment The tumor microenvironment (TME) is the environment around a tumor, including the surrounding blood vessels, immune cells, fibroblasts, signaling molecules and the extracellular matrix (ECM). The tumor and the surrounding microenvironment are ...

. She is a senior investigator and head of the molecular mechanisms in development section at the

National Cancer Institute The National Cancer Institute (NCI) coordinates the United States National Cancer Program and is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), which is one of eleven agencies that are part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. ...

Education

Esta Sterneck trained at the

European Molecular Biology Laboratory The European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL) is an intergovernmental organization dedicated to molecular biology research and is supported by 27 member states, two prospect states, and one associate member state. EMBL was created in 1974 and ...

and the before completing a Ph.D. at

Heidelberg University } Heidelberg University, officially the Ruprecht Karl University of Heidelberg, (german: Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg; la, Universitas Ruperto Carola Heidelbergensis) is a public university, public research university in Heidelberg, B ...

. Her thesis work investigated

oncogene An oncogene is a gene that has the potential to cause cancer. In tumor cells, these genes are often mutated, or expressed at high levels.

cooperation in

leukemia cells In cell biology, a precursor cell, also called a blast cell or simply blast, is a partially differentiated cell, usually referred to as a unipotent cell that has lost most of its stem cell properties. A precursor cell is also known as a proge ...

and revealed their coordinate induction of an essential

autocrine Autocrine signaling is a form of cell signaling in which a cell secretes a hormone or chemical messenger (called the autocrine agent) that binds to autocrine receptors on that same cell, leading to changes in the cell. This can be contrasted with p ...

growth factor. Her 1991 thesis was titled, ''Mechanismus der Aktivierung von cMGF-Produktion durch Kinasen in Transformierten Myeloiden Zellen''. During her

postdoctoral A postdoctoral fellow, postdoctoral researcher, or simply postdoc, is a person professionally conducting research after the completion of their doctoral studies (typically a PhD). The ultimate goal of a postdoctoral research position is to pu ...

training at the Advanced BioScience Laboratories-Basic Research Program in

Frederick, Maryland Frederick is a city in and the county seat of Frederick County, Maryland. It is part of the Baltimore–Washington Metropolitan Area. Frederick has long been an important crossroads, located at the intersection of a major north–south Native ...

. Sterneck began to study the functions of

CCAAT-enhancer-binding proteins CCAAT-enhancer-binding proteins (or C/EBPs) is a family of transcription factors composed of six members, named from C/EBPα to C/EBPζ. They promote the expression of certain genes through interaction with their promoters. Once bound to DNA, C ...

(C/EBP)

transcription factor In molecular biology, a transcription factor (TF) (or sequence-specific DNA-binding factor) is a protein that controls the rate of transcription of genetic information from DNA to messenger RNA, by binding to a specific DNA sequence. The f ...

s, including their roles in normal

mammary gland development Breast development, also known as mammogenesis, is a complex biological process in primates that takes place throughout a female, female's life. It occurs across several phases, including prenatal development, puberty, and pregnancy. At menopau ...

, through

genetically engineered Genetic engineering, also called genetic modification or genetic manipulation, is the modification and manipulation of an organism's genes using technology. It is a set of technologies used to change the genetic makeup of cells, including t ...

mice.

Career and research

Sterneck began her independent research with an NCI-Scholar grant before being recruited as a

principal investigator In many countries, the term principal investigator (PI) refers to the holder of an independent grant and the lead researcher for the grant project, usually in the sciences, such as a laboratory study or a clinical trial. The phrase is also often us ...

to the

(NCI) in 2003. She is a senior investigator and head of the molecular mechanisms in development section. Sterneck's research investigates signaling pathways with emphasis on pro-inflammatory molecules in breast

and cells of the

. She studies

cell signaling In biology, cell signaling (cell signalling in British English) or cell communication is the ability of a cell to receive, process, and transmit signals with its environment and with itself. Cell signaling is a fundamental property of all cellula ...

pathways that regulate mammary gland development and

tumorigenesis Carcinogenesis, also called oncogenesis or tumorigenesis, is the formation of a cancer, whereby normal cells are transformed into cancer cells. The process is characterized by changes at the cellular, genetic, and epigenetic levels and abnor ...

Awards and honors

In 2013, Sterneck received the NIH Merit Award and the NCI Outstanding Mentor Award.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Sterneck, Esta Living people Year of birth missing (living people) Place of birth missing (living people) National Institutes of Health people 21st-century women scientists Women medical researchers Austrian medical researchers Cancer researchers 21st-century biologists Austrian molecular biologists Women molecular biologists Austrian women biologists Austrian expatriates in the United States Expatriate academics in the United States Heidelberg University alumni Austrian expatriates in Germany