Seema Somji, Ph.D.       Assistant Professor       RM 3573, ssomji@medicine.nodak.edu

Education and Training Recent Publications Return to Research Page

Education and Training

St. Joseph's College; Karachi, Pakistan, BS University of Karachi, Pakistan, MSc The George Washington University, Washington, DC; Ph.D. The George Washington University, Washington, DC; Post-doctoral West Virginia University, post-doctoral in Molecular Toxicology and Pathology.

Recent Publications

Garrett SH, Sens MA, Shukla D, Flores L, Somji S, Todd JH, Sens DA. Metallothionein isoform 1 and 2 gene expression in the human prostate: Down-regulation of MT-1X in advanced prostate cancer. The Prostate. 43:125-135, 2000. Sens MA, Somji S, Lamm DL, Garrett SH, Slovinsky F, Todd JH, Sens DA. Metallothionein Isoform 3 as a Potential Biomarker for Human Bladder Cancer. Environ Health Perspect. 108(5): 413-418, 2000. Somji S, Todd JH, Sens MA, Garrett SH, Sens DA. Expression of Heat Shock Protein 60 in Human Proximal Tubule Cells Exposed to Heat, Sodium Arsenite and CdCl2. Toxicol Lett. 115:127-136, 2000. Somji S, Sens MA, Lamm DL, Garrett SH, Sens DA. Metallothionein Isoform 1 and 2 Gene Expression in the Human Bladder: Evidence for Up-Regulation of MT-1X mRNA in Bladder Cancer. Cancer Detect Prev. 25:62 75, 2001 Rossi MR, Masters JR, Park S, Todd JH, Garrett SH, Sens MA, Somji S, Nath J, Sens DA.The Immortalized Urotsa Cell Line as a Cell Culture Model of Human Uroepithelium. Environ Health Perspect 109:801-808, 2001. Sens MA, Somji S, Garrett SH, Beall CL, Sens DA. Metallothionein Isoform 3 (MT-3) Overexpression is Associated with Breast Cancers Having a Poor Prognosis. Amer J Pathol 159:21-26, 2001. Kim D, Somji S, Garrett SH, Sens MA, Shukla D, Sens DA. Expression of Hsp 27, Hsp 60, Hsc 70 and Hsp 70 by Immortalized Human Proximal Tubule Cells (HK-2) Following Exposure to Heat Shock, Sodium Arsenite or Cadmium Chloride. Toxicology and Environ Health 63:475-493, 2001. Garrett SH, Belcastro M, Sens MA, Somji S, Sens DA. Acute Exposure to Arsenite Induces Metallothionein Isoform-Specific Gene Expression in Human Proximal Tubule Cells. J Toxicol Environ Health A. 2001 Oct 26;64(4):343 55. Kim D, Garrett SH, Sens MA, Somji S, Sens DA. Metallothionein Isoform 3 and Proximal Tubule Vectorial Active Transport, Kidney International. 61, 464-472, 2002. Garrett SH, Phillips V, Somji S, Sens MA, Dutta R, Park S, Kim D, Sens DA. Transient Induction of Metallothionein Isoform 3 (MT-3), c-fos, c-jun and c-myc in Human Proximal Tubule Cells Exposed to Cadmium.Toxicol Lett. 2002 Jan 5;126(1):69 80 Dutta R, Sens DA, Somji S, Sens MA, Garrett SH. Metallothionein isoform 3 inhibits cell growth and increases drug resistance of PC-3 prostate cancer cells. Prostate. 2002 Jul 1;52(2):89-97 Somji S, Ann Sens M, Garrett SH, Gurel V, Todd JH, Sens DA. Expression of hsp90 in the human kidney and proximal tubule cells exposed to heat, sodium arsenite and cadmium chloride. Toxicol Lett. 2002 Jul 21;133(2-3):241-54 Rossi MR, Somji S, Garrett SH, Sens MA, Nath J, Sens DA. Expression of hsp 27, hsp 60, hsc 70 and hsp 70 stress response genes in cultured human urothelial cells (UROtsa) exposed to lethal and sublethal concentrations of sodium arsenite. Environ Health Perspect 110:1225_32, 2002 Sens D, Rossi M, Park S, Gurel V, Nath J, Garrett S, Sens MA, Somji S. Metallothionein Isoform 1 and 2 Gene Expression in a Human Urothelial Cell Line (UROtsa) Exposed to CdCl2 and NaAsO2. J Toxicol Environ Health A 66: 2031-2046, 2003. Gurel V, Sens DA, Somji S, Garrett SH, Nath J, Sens MA. Stable Transfection and Overexpression of Metallothionein Isoform 3 Inhibits the Growth of MCF-7 and Hs578T Cells but not that of T-47D or MDA-MB-231 Cells. Breast Cancer Research and Treatment, 80: 181-191, 2003 Sens DA, Park S, Gurel V, Sens MA, Garrett SH, Somji S. Inorganic cadmium- and arsenite-induced malignant transformation of human bladder urothelial cells. Toxicol Sci, 79(1):56-63, 2004. Somji S, Garrett SH, Sens MA, Gurel V, Sens DA. Expression of Metallothionein Isoform 3 (MT-3) Determines the Choice Between Apoptotic or Necrotic Cell Death in Cd+2-Exposed Human Proximal Tubule Cells. Toxicol Sci. 80:358-366, 2004 Gurel V, Sens DA, Somji S, Garrett SH, Weiland T, Sens MA. Post-Transcriptional Regulation of Metallothionein Isoform 1 and 2 Expression in the Human Breast and the MCF-10A Cell Line. In press, Toxicol Sci. 2005 Mar 23; [Epub ahead of print] Garrett SH, Park S, Sens MA, Somji S, Singh RK, Namburi VB, Sens DA. Expression of metallothoinein isoform 3 is restricted at the post-transcriptional level in human bladder epithelial cells. Toxicol Sci. 2005 Sep;87(1):66-74. Epub 2005 Jun 15. PMID: 15958653 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] Somji S, Garrett SH, Sens MA, Sens DA. The unique N-terminal sequence of metallothionein-3 is required to regulate the choice between apoptotic or necrotic cell death of human proximal tubule cells exposed to Cd+2. Toxicol Sci. 2006 Apr;90(2):369-76. Epub 2005 Dec 30. PMID: 16387743 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] Zhou XD, Sens DA, Sens MA, Namburi VB, Singh RK, Garrett SH, Somji S. Metallothionein-1 and -2 expression in cadmium- or arsenic-derived human malignant urothelial cells and tumor heterotransplants and as a prognostic indicator in human bladder cancer. Toxicol Sci. 2006 Jun;91(2):467-75. Epub 2006 Mar 24. PMID: 16565513 [PubMed - in process] Zhou XD, Sens MA, Garrett SH, Somji S, Park S, Gurel V, Sens DA. Enhanced Expression of Metallothionein Isoform 3 (MT-3) Protein in Tumor Heterotransplants Derived From As+3 and Cd+2 Transformed Human Urothelial Cells. Toxicol Sci. 2006 Jul 19; [Epub ahead of print] PMID: 16854967 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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