Overview Academic/Research Interest Areas

Dr. Dreau research aims at a better understanding of the Mechanisms of cancer Metastasis, vascular and immune Interactions During Cancer Growth.

The cancers of epithelial origin include: the most lethal skin cancer, i.e. melanoma and the most common solid tumor in female i.e., breast cancer.In these cancers as in others, the occurrence of metastases is associated with a high mortality (see the site of the American Cancer Society for details on cancer statistics in the US: http://www.cancer.org ).

The development of metastases is a multi-step process, which, from the tumor standpoint, includes:
- Development of tumor cells with metastatic potentials.
- Detachment, migration of tumor cells generally through the vascular system (blood, lymph vessels), and anchoring within the host tissue.
- Growth of the metastatic mass requiring the concurrent development of vessels, i.e. neo-angiogenesis, which provide oxygen and various nutriments.
- Preventing responses of the immune system throughout all the steps associated with the development of tumor metastases.

Dr. Dreau research center on the mechanisms of cancer metastasis, and the vascular and immune interactions are associated with cancer growth(metastatic).

Professional Affiliations

Member of the American Association for Cancer research (AACR)

Member (Founding) and user of the Charlotte Genomics Consortium, a micro-array facility

Recent Publications

Bruhat A., Dreau D., Drake M.E., Tourmente S., Chapel S., Couderc J.L., Dastugue B., 1993. Intronic and 5' flanking sequences of the drosophila, tubulin gene are essential to conferecdysone responsiveness. Mol. Cell. Endocr. 94:61-71.

Dreau D., J. P. Lalles, Philouze-Rome V.,?Toullec R. and?Salmon H., 1994. Local and systemic immune responses to soybean protein ingestion in early weaned pigs. J. Anim. Sci., 72: 2090-2098.

Dreau D., Morton D., Foster M., Swiggett J.P., Sonnenfeld G., 1997. Immune alterations in male and female mice after 2-deoxy-D-glucose administration. Physiol Behav, 62 (6): 1325-1331.

Dreau D., Morton D., Fowler N., Foster M., Sonnenfeld G., 1998. Effects of 2-deoxy-D-glucose administration on immune parameters in mice. Immunopharmacology, 39 (3): 201-213.

Dreau D., Bosserhoff A.-K., White R.L., Holder W.D, 1999. Melanoma-inhibitory activity protein concentrations in the blood of melanoma patients treated with immunotherapy. Oncology Research, 11: 55-61.

Dreau D., Lalles?J.P., 1999. Contribution to the study of gut hypersensitivity reactions to soybean proteins in preruminant calves and early-weaned piglets. Livest. Prod. Sci., 60: 209-21.

Educational Background

Bachelor in Physiology & Cell Biology, University of Rennes I (France), 1988.

Master in Molecular & Cell Biology, University Blaise Pascal, Clermont-Ferrand (France), 1990.

Ph.D. in Molecular & Cell Biology (Immunology), College of Agriculture of Rennes (France), 1994.