Eva Schmelz

Department Webpage: Eva Schmelz
Publications: Google Scholar

Dr. Schmelz's research is focused on the molecular mechanisms of ovarian cancer prevention. Her lab uses cell and animal models to study interactions of obesity, inflammation, and cancer that support ovarian cancer metastasis.

Sphingolipid metabolites as lipid second messengers are involved in the regulation of cell growth and death, but some metabolites are actively promoting inflammation, migration, invasion and angiogenesis- all processes important in chronic diseases and cancer. The research group of Dr. Schmelz is interested in the use of orally administered complex sphingolipids in the prevention of colon, breast and ovarian cancer in mouse models, and investigating the underlying molecular mechanisms in vitro in human and mouse cell lines. In contrast to other treatments, this approach is very effective in these models but does not cause severe side effects.

Sphingolipids also impact the cellular architecture and biophysical properties of the cells. During cancer progression, the cellular architecture changes greatly, altering cellular organization and signaling events. Dr. Schmelz's group is currently using a mouse cell model for progressive ovarian cancer and investigate how sphingolipids regulate the cytoskeleton organization and the importance of these changes for cancer treatment. This model is the center of a multidisciplinary approach, investigating ovarian cancer progression, characterizing the metastatic tumor microenvironment and the impact of obesity and inflammation on tumor burden and survival. Furthermore, the identification of markers for early-stage ovarian cancer independent of a specific genotype may allow for earlier detection of the cancer, and better treatment decisions. This is important because ovarian cancer is a deadly disease because it is often detected late when the cancer has already spread throughout the peritoneal cavity.  Therefore, they include the biomechanical and bioelectrical properties of ovarian cancer cells and their stem-like populations in our investigations for identification, isolation and characterization of the disease.

Human Nutrition, Foods and Exercise | College of Agriculture and Life Sciences