Dr. Lobert's long-range goal is to understand why tumors are resistant to antimitotic chemotherapy agents. Antimitotic agents are important components of combination chemotherapy. Often tumors are resistant to antimitotic agents either initially or after repeated drug cycles. These drugs interact with tubulin, the major protein of mitotic spindles. Mitotic microtubules are dynamic, undergoing assembly and disassembly while aligning chromosomes at the metaphase plate. Antimitotic agents reduce microtubule dynamics.
Dr. Lobert’s work focuses on breast cancer cell culture models and their responses to antimitotic drugs, such as paclitaxel and vincristine. Her projects are carried out through collaborations with students and colleagues at UMMC, as well as other universities. The School of Nursing basic science laboratories are equipped for state-of-the-art cell culture, molecular biology, fluorescence microscopy and protein chemistry studies.
