Apinya Thiantanawat, Ph.D.

Postdoctoral Associate

Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Department of Biological Engineering
77 Massachusetts Avenue
Room 56-654
Cambridge, MA 02139

Phone: 617-253-6752
Fax: 617-258-8676
E-mail: apinya@mit.edu

Dr. Thiantanawat received her bachelor's degree in Chemical Biology from Silpakorn University, (1985) and master’s degree in Pharmacology from Mahidol University, Thailand (1988). In 1988, she began her career as one of the pioneer researchers at Chulabhorn Research Institute (CRI), a new research institute established in 1987 by HRH Princess Chulabhorn. In 2003, she received her Ph.D. in Pharmacology from the University of Maryland, Baltimore, USA, under the guidance of Dr. Angela Brodie. After graduation, she returned to Thailand, where she was appointed as a Senior Researcher at CRI and Lecturer in the Applied Biological Sciences Department, Chulabhorn Graduate Institute. Dr. Thiantanawat joined Dr. Wogan's research group as a postdoctoral associate in March 2008.

Research Interests

After earning her MS in Pharmacology, Dr. Thiantanawat began her research career at CRI in the laboratory of Dr. Jutamaad Satayavivad, in the areas of autonomic pharmacology and toxicology. She investigated effects of naturally occurring chemicals from medicinal plants and the toxicology of industrial chemicals, and pesticides on cholinergic nervous system in various in vitro and in vivo models. Having been awarded a leave from CRI, she entered the research group of Professor Angela Brodie at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, Baltimore. In the Brodie laboratory, she pursued her research interests in signal transductions regulating death and survival pathways in cancer cells. Using both in vitro cancer cell cultures and intratumoral nude mouse models, she identified the signaling pathways of apoptosis induced by aromatase inhibitors and antiestrogens. Returning to Thailand in 2003, Dr. Thiantanawat continued her research in cancer biology, focusing on drug development for cancer therapy by targeting cell cycle machinery and apoptotic signaling pathways. In addition, her research also included the area of mechanism of estrogens and endocrine disrupting agents as mediators of development and progression of cancer. As nitric oxide (NO) is known to play a significant role in cancer biology, Dr. Thiantanawat joined Dr. Wogan’s group in 2008. Her current research concerns effects of NO in modulating growth of human colon cancer. The possible contribution of NO to altered cancer cell survival through stabilization of the transcription factor hypoxia-inducible factor 1 (HIF-1 alpha) and effects on its regulatory enzymes, prolyl hydroxylase domain (PHD) proteins are being investigated.

Selected Publications

Watcharasit, P, Thiantanawat, A, Satayavivad, J. GSK3 promotes arsenite-induced apoptosis via facilitation of mitochondria disruption. J Appl Toxicol. 28(4):466-74, 2008.
 
Chantara, W, Watcharasit, P, Thiantanawat, A, Satayavivad, J. Acrylonitrile-induced extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) activation via protein kinase C (PKC) in SK-N-SH neuroblastoma cells. J Appl Toxicol. 26(6):517-23, 2006.
 
Long, BJ, Jelovac, BJ, Handratta, V, Thiantanawat, A, MacPherson, N, Ragaz, J, Goloubeva, OG, Brodie, AM. Therapeutic strategies using the aromatase inhibitor letrozole and tamoxifen in a breast cancer model. J Natl Cancer Inst. 96(6):456-65, 2004.
 
Thiantanawat, A, Long, BJ, Brodie, AM. Signaling pathways of apoptosis activated by aromatase inhibitors and antiestrogens. Cancer Res. 63(22):8037-50, 2003.
 
Long, BJ, Jelovac, D, Thiantanawat, A, Brodie, AM. The effect of second-line antiestrogen therapy on breast tumor growth after first-line treatment with the aromatase inhibitor letrozole: long-term studies using the intratumoral aromatase postmenopausal breast cancer model. Clin Cancer Res. 8(7):2378-88, 2002.
 
Long, BJ, Tilghman SL, Yue, W, Thiantanawat, A, Grigoryev, DN, Brodie, AM. The steroidal antiestrogen ICI 182,780 is an inhibitor of cellular aromatase activity. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. 67(4):293-304, 1998.
 
Satayavivad, J, Thiantanawat, A, Tuntawiroon, J, Watcharasit, P, Ruchirawat, M. Alterations of central muscarinic functions during subchronic exposure to acrylonitrile in rats. Com. Biol. Psycho, Psychi. 23: 29-41, 1998.
 
Satayavivad, J, Sirapat, W, Thiantanawat, A. Neurological effects of chronic exposure to low doses of paraquat in rats. Res. Comm. in Pharmacol and Toxicol. 2: 269-282, 1997.
 
Satayavivad, J, Thiantanawat, A, Kositchaiwat, U. Hypoglycemic activity of the aqueous extract of Schefflera leucantha Viguier in rats. Thai J. Pharmacy. 3: 1-5, 1996.
 

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