Dr. Eugene L. Elmore, Ph.D.
University of California, Irvine

Dr. Elmore received his Ph.D. in Genetics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Dr. Elmore is currently a Project Scientist at the University of California, Irvine. Dr Elmore has worked with human cells and in the field of in vitro toxicology since 1972. He has broad experience in the development and/or validation of in vitro assays for various screening applications including: tumor promoters, teratogens, mutagens, carcinogens, and cancer prevention agents. His current research is focused on the development and implementation of unique human cell models for determining cancer prevention efficacy and identifying potential organ specific toxicity. In addition, his research is also focused on determining the potential health effects of low dose ionizing radiation.

Current Research Interests

• The Human Epidermal Cell Assay for cancer prevention efficacy has been used to screen more than 60 agents. The assay has shown an accuracy of approximately 93% for predicting animal cancer prevention efficacy irrespective of the animal species, the target tissue, or the carcinogen used. For agents where the clinical plasma levels are known, we have shown in vitro efficacy at clinically achievable concentrations for thirty of thirty two agents. This was the first normal human cell assay for screening for potential chemoprevention efficacy.
  
  
• He has also developed the first human cell assay for identifying potential melanoma prevention agents. This assay has also predicted efficacy at clinically relevant concentrations. Since there are no good animal models with relevance to human melanoma, the data from this assay may be used without animal efficacy testing.
  
  
• The human colon polyp cell assay was developed to study chemopreventive agent induced changes in gene expression as a function of time at clinically relevant concentrations. The goal of this study is to identify biomarkers that could be used either for monitoring human clinical response and/or to aid in the early assessment of drug efficacy in clinical trials.
  
  
• The Human Cell Cytotoxicity Assay is used to screen for tissue specific toxicity. This assay uses normal human epithelial cells from ten different tissues to determine tissues specific toxicities. This assay has successfully predicted agent adverse events that were detected in clinical trials.
  
  
• He has also studied the effects of low dose, low LET ionizing irradiation in a human cell transformation assay. The data have shown that for all sources used, including cesium, 60 kVp x-rays, 30 kVp x-rays (mammography), and protons, exposure to doses of 10 cGy or less results in an adaptive response. These data are consistent with observed responses in animals and humans.
  

5/2004 - Special Judge, Intel International Science and Engineering Fair, Portland, OR

5/2004 - Fellow Award, Society for In Vitro Biology

10/2001 - Recognition Award, International Association of Environmental Mutagen
Societies

10/2000 Invited Scientific Expert, International Workshop on In Vitro Methods for Assessing Acute Systemic Toxicity, organized by Interagency Coordinating Committee on the Validation of Alternative Methods and the National Toxicology Program.

06/1997 Service Award, Society for In Vitro Biology

06/1992 Service Award, Tissue Culture Association

03/1992 Service Award, Environmental Mutagen Society

03/1990 EMS Recognition Award, Environmental Mutagen Society

10/1987 Service Award, Genotoxicity and Environmental Mutagen Society

Membership on Journal Editorial Boards

2001 – Pres. In Vitro Cellular & Developmental Biology - Animal

1999 – 2004 Methods in Cell Science

2004 – Pres. Cytotechnology

Elected Offices Held in Professional Societies and Scholarly Ogranizations

2002 – 2004 Chair, Awards Committee, Society for In Vitro Biology

1994 – 1998 Council Member-at-Large, Executive Board, Society for In Vitro Biology

1993 – 2001 Treasurer, International Association of Environmental Mutagen Societies

1989 – 1992 Treasurer, Environmental Mutagen Society

1989 – 1992 Executive Board, Environmental Mutagen Society

1985 – 1987 Vice President, Genotoxicity and Environmental Mutagen Society

1982 – 1987 Board of Directors, Genotoxicity and Environmental Mutagen Society

Journal Articles (Selected)

Elmore E, Barrett JC. Measurement of spontaneous mutation rates at the Na+/K+ ATPase locus (ouabain resistance) of human fibroblasts using improved growth conditions. Mutat Res 97:393-404, 1982.

Elmore E., Kakunaga T, Barrett JC. Comparison of spontaneous mutation rates of normal and chemically transformed human skin fibroblasts. Cancer Res 43:1650-1655, 1983.

Bohrman JS, Burg JR, Elmore E, Gulati DK, Barfknecht TR, Niemeier RW, Davies BL, Toraason M, Langenbach R. Interlaboratory studies with the Chinese hamster V79 cell metabolic cooperation assay to detect tumor-promoting agents. Environ Mol Mutagen 12:33-51, 1988.

Steele VE, Morrissey RE, Elmore E, Gurganus-Rocha D, Wilkinson BP, Curren RD, Schmetter BS, Louie AT, Lamb JC, Yang LL. Evaluation of two in vitro assays to screen for potential developmental toxicants. Fund Appl Toxicol 11:673-684, 1988.

Elmore E. In Vitro Toxicology: advances, applications, and alternatives, humane innovations and alternatives 6:392-394, 1992.

Daston GP, Baines D, Elmore E, Fitzgerald MP, Sharma S. Evaluation of chick embryo neural retinal cell culture as a screen for developmental toxicants. Fund App Tox 26:203-210, 1995.

Korytynski EA, Kelloff GJ, Suk WA, Sharma S, Elmore E. The development of an anchorage-independence assay using human lung tumor cells to prescreen potential chemopreventive agents. Anticancer Res 16:1091-1094, 1996.

Steele VE, Sharma S, Mehta R, Elmore E, Redpath JL, Rudd C, Bagheri D, Sigman CC, Kelloff GJ. Use of in vitro assays to predict the efficacy of chemopreventive agents in whole animals. J Cellular Biochem. 265:29-53, 1996.

Elmore E, Stringer DE, Steele VE, Gerner EW, Redpath JL. Chemoprevention by difluoromethylornithine: correlation of an in vitro human cell assay with human clinical data for biomarker expression. Anticancer Res. 21:1163-1166, 2001.

Elmore E, Luc T-T, Steele VE, Kelloff GJ, Redpath JL. Comparative tissue-specific toxicities of twenty cancer preventive agents using cultured cells from eight different normal human epithelia. In Vitro & Molecular Toxicol. 14:191-207, 2001.

Redpath JL, Liang D, Taylor TH, Christie C, Elmore E. The shape of the dose response curve for radiation-induced neoplastic transformation in vitro: Evidence for an adaptive response against neoplastic transformation at low doses of low LET radiation. Radiat. Res. 156:700-707, 2001.

Elmore E, Siddiqui S, Desai, N, Moyer MP, Steele, VE, Redpath JL. The Human Epithelial Cell Cytotoxicity Assay for determining tissue-specific toxicity: method modifications. Methods Cell Sci. 24:145-153, 2002.

Redpath JL, Lu Q, Lao X-Y, Molloi S, Elmore E. Low doses of diagnostic energy x-rays protect against neoplastic transformation in vitro. Int. J. Radiat. Biol. 79:235-240, 2003.

Pant MC, Lao X-Y, Lu Q, Molloi, S, Elmore E, Redpath, JL. Mechanisms of suppression of neoplastic transformation in vitro by low dose low LET radiation. Carcinogenesis, 24:1961-1965, 2003.

Ko SJ, Liao X-Y, Molloi S, Elmore E, Redpath JL. Neoplastic transformation in vitro after exposure to low doses of mammographic-energy X rays: quantitative and mechanistic aspects. Radiat. Res. 162:646-654, 2004.

Elmore E, Siddiqui S, Navidi M, Steele VE, Redpath JL. Correlation of in vitro chemopreventive efficacy; data from the Human Epidermal Cell Assay with animal efficacy data and clinical trial plasma levels. J. Cell. Biochem. 95:571-588, 2005.

Elmore E, Liao X-Y, Ko M, Rightnar S, Nelson G, Redpath JL. Neoplastic transformation in vitro induced by low doses of 232 MeV protons. Int. J. Radiat. Biol. 81:291-297, 2005.

Ko M, Lao X-Y, Kapadia R, Elmore E, Redpath JL. Neoplastic transformation in vitro by low doses of ionizing radiation: Role of adaptive response and bystander effects. Mutat. Res. (In press).

Elmore E, Jain, A, Siddiqui S, Tohidian N, Meyskens FL, Steele VE, Redpath JL. Development and characteristics of a human cell assay for screening agents for melanoma prevention. Melanoma Res. (In press).