Transcriptional Regulation and Epigenetics

Dr Jenny Worthington

Lecturer in Biomedical Sciences

Contact details

Academic and Professional Qualifications:

1997-2000: University of Ulster, D.Phil thesis: ‘Radiation-controlled gene expression: a novel approach to oxygenation-dependent radiotherapy.’

1993-1997: University of Ulster, BSc (Hons) Applied Biochemical Sciences with Diploma in Industrial Studies 1st Class

Career Summary:

Jan 2007 – Present – Lecturer in Biomedical Sciences, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Ulster, Coleraine

Jan 2001 – Dec 2006 - Research Associate/Fellow in Radiation Science Research Group, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Ulster, Jordanstown

Oct 2000-Dec 2000 – Research Assistant in Radiation Science Research Group, School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Ulster, Jordanstown

Research Interests:

Our work focuses on 2 major themes

1. Examining molecular changes in prostate tumours treated with bicalutamide to develop novel treatment regimens.

2. Control of Runx2 expression and its role in malignant progression in prostate cancer with particular interest in apoptosis and angiogenesis.

Publications:

Adams C, McCarthy H, Coulter J, Worthington J, Murphy C, Robson T, Hirst DG.(2009) Nitric oxide synthase gene therapy enhances the toxicity of cisplatin in cancer cells. J Gene Med 11: 160-8

Wilson C, Scullin P, Worthington J, Seaton A, Maxwell P, O’Rourke D, Johnston PG, McKeown SR, Wilson RH, O’Sullivan JM, Waugh DJJ (2008) Dexamethasone potentiates the anti-angiogenic activity of docetaxel in castration-resistant prostate cancer. Br J Can 99: 2054-64

Butterworth KT, McCarthy HO, Devlin A, Ming L, Robson T, McKeown SR, Worthington J. (2008) Hypoxia selects for invasive, androgen independent and apoptosis-resistant LNCaP cells. Int J Cancer, 123: 760-8

O’Rourke M, Ward C, Worthington J, McKenna J, Valentine A,Robson T, Hirst DG, McKeown SR. (2008) Evaluation of the anti-angiogenic potential of AQ4N. Clin Can Res 14: 1502-9

Marginol L, Robson T, McCarthy HO, Worthington J, Murray M, Hollywood D, Lawler M, Hirst DG. (2008)The tissue plasminogen activator gene promoter: a novel tool for radiogenic gene therapy? J Gene Med 10: 1032-8

Coulter J, McCarthy HO, Worthington J, Robson T, Scott SD, Hirst DG.(2008) Enhancement of the synthetic CArG promoter by radiation and hypoxia. Gene Therapy 15: 495-503

McCarthy HO, Coulter J, Worthington J, Robson T, Hirst DG (2007) Human osteocalcin: a strong promoter for nitric oxide synthase gene therapy, with specificity for hormone refractory prostate cancer. J Gene Med 9:511-20

McCarthy HO*, Worthington J*, Barrett E, Boyd M, McKeown SR, Hirst DG, Robson T (2006) p21(WAF1)-mediated transcriptional targeting of inducible nitric oxide synthase gene therapy sensitizes tumours to fractionated radiotherapy. Gene Ther 14: 246-55 * These authors contributed equally to this work.

Robson T, Worthington J, McKeown SR, Hirst DG (2005) Radiogenic therapy: novel approaches for enhancing tumour radiosensitivity. Technol Cancer Res Treat 4: 343-62.

Worthington J, Robson T, Scott S, Hirst DG (2005) Evaluation of a synthetic CArG promoter for nitric oxide synthase gene therapy of cancer. Gene Ther 19: 1417-23

Worthington J, McCarthy HO, Barrett E, Robson T, Hirst DG (2004) Anti-tumour effect of iNOS gene therapy driven by the WAF1 radiation inducible promoter in RIF-1 tumours. J Gene Med 6: 673-680.

Worthington J, Robson T, O’Keeffe M, Hirst DG (2002) Tumour cell radiosensitization using constitutive (CMV) and radiation-inducible (WAF1) promoters to drive the iNOS gene: a novel suicide gene therapy. Gene Ther 9: 263-9.

Worthington J, Robson T, Murray M, O’Rourke M, Keilty G, Hirst DG (2000) Modification of vascular tone using iNOS under the control of a radiation-inducible promoter. Gene Ther 7: 1126-31