Dr. Halaby is a Cell and Developmental Biologist and Professor of Biology and Molecular Biology. He teaches a variety of biology courses including those for non-majors, majors, and graduate students. Breast cancer and prostate cancer are the second deadliest cancers in the United States in women and men, respectfully. Therefore, these two types of cancers represent an enormous health burden in our country. The focus of Dr. Halaby's research lab is the induction of apoptosis (programmed cell death) in human breast and prostate cancer cells. Dr. Halaby is specifically interested in apoptosis that is triggered by lysosomes, organelles that function in cellular digestion. His lab is currently investigating how triptolide, a Chinese herb, affects the activation of caspases and the subcellular localization of cathepsin B.

Dr. Halaby is also an Undergraduate Academic Advisor in the Department.

Induction of apoptosis in human breast and prostate cancer cells using triptolide, a Chinese herb that has been used in traditional Chinese medicine for over two centuries.

Effect of triptolide on protein expression.

We are investigating triptolide's ability to up- or down-regulate the protein expression levels of pro-apoptotic proteins, including caspases and PARP, in human breast and prostate cancer cells.

Lysosomal-mediated apoptosis.

Lysosomes contain approximately 50 degradative enzymes that have the capability of digesting all of the molecules of a cell. We hypothesize that triptolide modulates lysosomal membrane permeability in such a way that it results in the release of the lysosomal enzymes, such as cathepsin B, into the cytosol. Our preliminary data indicates that this triptolide induces lysosomal-mediated apoptosis in MCF-7 breast and DU-145 prostate cancer cells.

HuMEC Cells

We are working with a normal human mammary cell line, HuMEC cells, to determine the effects of triptolide on normal breast cells and establish a control cell line for comparison studies.