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Contact Details

Phone
+64 3 479 9141
Email
rhonda.rosengren@otago.ac.nz
Position
Professor
Department
Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology
Qualifications
BS PhD(Texas A & M)
Research summary
Breast and prostate cancer, nanomedicine, drug metabolism
Memberships
Professor Rhonda Rosengren is a member of the Auckland Cancer Research Network

Research

Toxicological research in my laboratory involves the identification of novel treatments for various cancers including estrogen receptor negative breast cancer, hormone refractory prostate cancer and ovarian cancer. In conjunction with Dr. Bill Hawkins in the department of Chemistry we are synthesizing novel curcumin derivatives and examining their activity in both in vitro and in vivo models of cancer. We have also discovered new roles for tamoxifen and raloxifene in breast and prostate cancer when given as part of a novel combination therapy or in novel formulations. We also have research collaborations with Dr. Andrew Cridge in the Department of Biochemistry, Dr. Jonathan Bray Head of Small Animal Surgery at Massey University Veterinary School, Dr. Heather Cunliffe in the Department of Pathology and Dr. Mihnea Bostina in the Department of Microbiology and Immunology. The Otago Medical Research Foundation and grants from the University of Otago currently fund our work.


Publications

Kelly, B., Thamm, D., & Rosengren, R. J. (2023). The second-generation curcumin analogue RL71 elicits G2/M cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in canine osteosarcoma cells. Veterinary & Comparative Oncology. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1111/vco.12922 Journal - Research Article

Tan, Y. Z., Thomsen, L. R., Shrestha, N., Camisasca, A., Giordani, S., & Rosengren, R. (2023). Short-term intravenous administration of carbon nano-onions is non-toxic in female mice. International Journal of Nanomedicine, 18, 3897-3912. doi: 10.2147/IJN.S414438 Journal - Research Article

Taurin, S., & Rosengren, R. J. (2023). Raloxifene potentiates the effect of gefitinib in triple-negative breast cancer cell lines. Medical Oncology, 40, 45. doi: 10.1007/s12032-022-01909-3 Journal - Research Article

Chand, R. R., Nimick, M., Cridge, B., & Rosengren, R. J. (2023). Investigating the contribution of major drug-metabolising enzymes to possum-specific fertility control. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 24, 9424. doi: 10.3390/ ijms24119424 Journal - Research Article

Webb, H. D. J., Finlay, D. B., Chen, S., Vernall, A. J., Sparkes, E., Banister, S. D., Rosengren, R. J., & Glass, M. (2023). Characterisation of AMB-FUBINACA metabolism and CB1-mediated activity of its acid metabolite. Forensic Toxicology, 41, 114-125. doi: 10.1007/s11419-022-00649-3 Journal - Research Article

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