Regina Santella

Regina M. Santella
Alma materCity University of New York
University of Massachusetts Amherst
Brooklyn College
Scientific career
WorkplacesColumbia University Mailman School of Public Health
ThesisInteraction of model proteins and DNA (1976)

Regina Maria (Padronaggio) Santella (born 1948) is an American environmental scientist who is an emeritus professor at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. She used molecular epidemiology studies and laboratory assays to understand the role of environmental, lifestyle and occupational carcinogens in cancer development as well as to identify susceptible populations. She is the former Director of Columbia's NIEHS Center for Environmental Health in Northern Manhattan, Chair of the American Association for Cancer Research Molecular Epidemiology Working Group and Vice Dean of Faculty at Mailman.

Early life and education

Santella was an undergraduate at Brooklyn College.[1] She moved to the University of Massachusetts Amherst for graduate studies, where she specialized in organic chemistry. Her doctoral research, which she performed at the City University of New York, investigated the interaction of proteins with DNA.[2]

Research and career

Santella has studied how environmental chemicals primarily polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH), ubiquitous pollutants, and aflatoxin, a dietary toxin produced by a mold, cause cancer. She has enabled precise carcinogen detection through highly specific and sensitive immunoassays. These assays use monoclonal and polyclonal antibodies developed by Santella to measure DNA and protein binding of the carcinogens to produce adducts as well metabolites of the carcinogens in urine. One of the first studies demonstrated that women who smoke had higher levels of PAH-DNA damage in their placental tissue than nonsmokers.[3] Later studies revealed elevated DNA damage in people with environmental, occupational or lifestyle exposures.[4][5][6] PAH exposure and breast cancer risk has been investigated in two projects, The Long Island Breast Cancer Study Project (LIBCSP), a population-based case-control study,[7] and the Breast Cancer Family Registry (BCFR).[8] In the LIBCSP, elevated PAH-DNA adducts in blood mononuclear cells was associated with increased breast cancer risk.[9] In the BCFR, a prospective study design used blood samples collected from women who later went on to develop breast cancer as well as controls. Elevated PAH-albumin adducts were associated with increased breast cancer risk.[10]

A long term collaboration with Dr. Chien-Jen Chen in Taiwan studied liver cancer using blood and urine specimens collected when participants in a cancer screening program were recruited. Samples from those who developed cancer during followup were assayed as well as samples from unaffected controls. These studies demonstrated that those with higher levels of aflatoxin-albumin adducts,[11][12] PAH-albumin adducts[13] and oxidative stress[14] at recruitment had elevated risk for liver cancer. This population also was used in one of the first studies to demonstrate that blood biomarkers (plasma DNA methylation) could be used for early diagnosis of liver cancer.[15]

Studies on genetic susceptibility to cancer used genotyping and phenotyping methods. Within the BCFR, she has shown that an individuals capacity to repair two types of DNA damage (bulky adducts such as PAH-DNA and double strand breaks impacts breast cancer risk.[16][17] Other studies have evaluated how environmental and lifestyle factors influence epigenetic modifications (e.g., DNA methylation,[18][19][20] telomere length[21][22] and microRNA expression[23][24]), and these play a role in cancer risk.

In 2023, Research.com named Santella as one of the top 1000 women scientists in the world.[25]

Selected publications

  • Scott M. Lippman; Eric A. Klein; Phyllis J. Goodman; et al. (7 January 2009). "Effect of selenium and vitamin E on risk of prostate cancer and other cancers: the Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial (SELECT)". JAMA. 301 (1): 39–51. doi:10.1001/jama.2008.864. ISSN 0098-7484. PMC 3682779. PMID 19066370. Wikidata Q29619860.
  • Kyriaki Michailidou; Jonathan Beesley; Sara Lindstrom; et al. (9 March 2015). "Genome-wide association analysis of more than 120,000 individuals identifies 15 new susceptibility loci for breast cancer". Nature Genetics. 47 (4): 373–380. doi:10.1038/ng.3242. ISSN 1061-4036. PMC 4549775. PMID 25751625. Wikidata Q35996692.
  • Jiang W; Kahn SM; Zhou P; et al. (1 December 1993). "Overexpression of cyclin D1 in rat fibroblasts causes abnormalities in growth control, cell cycle progression and gene expression". Oncogene. 8 (12): 3447–3457. ISSN 0950-9232. PMID 8247550. Wikidata Q53476711.

References

  1. ↑ "Regina M. Santella, PhD". Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. 2022-12-01. Retrieved 2025-08-23.
  2. ↑ "Interaction of model proteins and DNA | WorldCat.org". search.worldcat.org. Retrieved 2025-08-23.
  3. ↑ Everson, Richard B.; Randerath, Erika; Santella, Regina M.; Cefalo, Robert C.; Avitts, Tommie A.; Randerath, Kurt (1986-01-03). "Detection of Smoking-Related Covalent DNA Adducts in Human Placenta". Science. 231 (4733): 54–57. Bibcode:1986Sci...231...54E. doi:10.1126/science.3941892. ISSN 0036-8075.
  4. ↑ Santella, Regina M.; Grinberg-Funes, Ricardo A.; Young, Tie Lan; Dickey, Christopher; Singh, Vishwa Nath; Wang, Lian Wen; Perera, Frederica P. (1992). "Cigarette smoking related polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon—DNA adducts in peripheral mononuclear cells". Carcinogenesis. 13 (11): 2041–2045. doi:10.1093/carcin/13.11.2041. ISSN 0143-3334. PMID 1423873.
  5. ↑ Perera, F. P.; Hemminki, K.; Young, T. L.; Brenner, D.; Kelly, G.; Santella, R. M. (1988-04-15). "Detection of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon-DNA adducts in white blood cells of foundry workers". Cancer Research. 48 (8): 2288–2291. ISSN 0008-5472. PMID 3127049.
  6. ↑ Perera, Frederica P.; Hemminki, Kari; Gryzbowska, Ewa; Motykiewicz, Grazyna; Michalska, Jadwiga; Santella, Regina M.; Young, Tie-Lan; Dickey, Christopher; Brandt-Rauf, Paul; DeVivo, Immaculata; Blaner, William; Tsai, Wei-Yann; Chorazy, Mieczyslaw (1992-11-19). "Molecular and genetic damage in humans from environmental pollution in Poland". Nature. 360 (6401): 256–258. Bibcode:1992Natur.360..256P. doi:10.1038/360256a0. ISSN 0028-0836. PMID 1436106.
  7. ↑ Gammon, Marilie D.; Neugut, Alfred I.; Santella, Regina M.; Teitelbaum, Susan L.; Britton, Julie A.; Terry, Mary Beth; Eng, Sybil M.; Wolff, Mary S.; Stellman, Steven D.; Kabat, Geoffrey C.; Levin, Bruce; Bradlow, H. Leon; Hatch, Maureen; Beyea, Jan; Camann, David (August 2002). "The Long Island Breast Cancer Study Project: Description of a Multi-Institutional Collaboration to Identify Environmental Risk Factors for Breast Cancer". Breast Cancer Research and Treatment. 74 (3): 235–254. doi:10.1023/A:1016387020854. ISSN 0167-6806.
  8. ↑ John, Esther M; Hopper, John L; Beck, Jeanne C; Knight, Julia A; Neuhausen, Susan L; Senie, Ruby T; Ziogas, Argyrios; Andrulis, Irene L; Anton-Culver, Hoda; Boyd, Norman; Buys, Saundra S; Daly, Mary B; O'Malley, Frances P; Santella, Regina M; Southey, Melissa C (2004-05-19). "The Breast Cancer Family Registry: an infrastructure for cooperative multinational, interdisciplinary and translational studies of the genetic epidemiology of breast cancer". Breast Cancer Research. 6 (4) R375. doi:10.1186/bcr801. ISSN 1465-542X. PMC 468645. PMID 15217505.
  9. ↑ Gammon, Marilie D.; Sagiv, Sharon K.; Eng, Sybil M.; Shantakumar, Sumitra; Gaudet, Mia M.; Teitelbaum, Susan L.; Britton, Julie A.; Terry, Mary Beth; Wang, Lian Wen; Wang, Qiao; Stellman, Steve D.; Beyea, Jan; Hatch, Maureen; Kabat, Geoffrey C.; Wolff, Mary S. (December 2004). "Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon–DNA Adducts and Breast Cancer: A Pooled Analysis". Archives of Environmental Health. 59 (12): 640–649. doi:10.1080/00039890409602948. ISSN 0003-9896. PMC 4277204. PMID 16789472.
  10. ↑ Shen, Jing; Liao, Yuyan; Hopper, John L; Goldberg, Mandy; Santella, Regina M; Terry, Mary Beth (April 2017). "Dependence of cancer risk from environmental exposures on underlying genetic susceptibility: an illustration with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and breast cancer". British Journal of Cancer. 116 (9): 1229–1233. doi:10.1038/bjc.2017.81. ISSN 0007-0920. PMC 5418454. PMID 28350789.
  11. ↑ Chen, Chien-Jen; Wang, Li-Yu; Lu, Sheng-Nan; Wu, Mei-Huei; You, San-Lin; Zhang, Yu-Jing; Wang, Lian-Wen; Santella, Regina M (July 1996). "Elevated Aflatoxin Exposure and Increased Risk of Hepatocellular Carcinoma". Hepatology. 24 (1): 38–42. doi:10.1002/hep.510240108. ISSN 0270-9139. PMID 8707279.
  12. ↑ Wang, Li-Yu; Hatch, Maureen; Chen, Chien-Jen; Levin, Bruce; You, San-Lin; Lu, Sheng-Nan; Wu, Mei-Huei; Wu, Wei-Pin; Wang, Lian-Wen; Wang, Qiao; Huang, Guan-Tarn; Yang, Pei-Ming; Lee, Hsuan-Shu; Santella, Regina M. (1996-09-04). "Aflatoxin exposure and risk of hepatocellular carcinoma in Taiwan". International Journal of Cancer. 67 (5): 620–625. doi:10.1002/(SICI)1097-0215(19960904)67:5<620::AID-IJC5>3.0.CO;2-W. PMID 8782648.
  13. ↑ Wu, Hui-Chen; Wang, Qiao; Wang, Lian-Wen; Yang, Hwai-I; Ahsan, Habibul; Tsai, Wei-Yann; Wang, Li-Yu; Chen, Shu-Yuan; Chen, Chien-Jen; Santella, Regina M. (July 2007). "Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon- and aflatoxin-albumin adducts, hepatitis B virus infection and hepatocellular carcinoma in Taiwan". Cancer Letters. 252 (1): 104–114. Bibcode:2007CancL.252..104W. doi:10.1016/j.canlet.2006.12.010. PMC 1948099. PMID 17250958.
  14. ↑ Wu, H.-C.; Wang, Q.; Wang, L.-W.; Yang, H.-I; Ahsan, H.; Tsai, W.-Y.; Wang, L.-Y.; Chen, S.-Y.; Chen, C.-J.; Santella, R. M. (2006-11-27). "Urinary 8-oxodeoxyguanosine, aflatoxin B1 exposure and hepatitis B virus infection and hepatocellular carcinoma in Taiwan". Carcinogenesis. 28 (5): 995–999. doi:10.1093/carcin/bgl234. ISSN 0143-3334. PMID 17127712.
  15. ↑ Zhang, Yu-Jing; Wu, Hui-Chen; Shen, Jing; Ahsan, Habibul; Tsai, Wei Yann; Yang, Hwai-I; Wang, Li-Yu; Chen, Shu-Yuan; Chen, Chien-Jen; Santella, Regina M. (2007-04-15). "Predicting Hepatocellular Carcinoma by Detection of Aberrant Promoter Methylation in Serum DNA". Clinical Cancer Research. 13 (8): 2378–2384. doi:10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-06-1900. ISSN 1078-0432.
  16. ↑ Kennedy, D. O.; Agrawal, M.; Shen, J.; Terry, M. B.; Zhang, F. F.; Senie, R. T.; Motykiewicz, G.; Santella, R. M. (2005-01-19). "DNA Repair Capacity of Lymphoblastoid Cell Lines From Sisters Discordant for Breast Cancer". JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute. 97 (2): 127–132. doi:10.1093/jnci/dji013. ISSN 0027-8874. PMID 15657342.
  17. ↑ Machella, N.; Terry, M. B.; Zipprich, J.; Gurvich, I.; Liao, Y.; Senie, R. T.; Kennedy, D. O.; Santella, R. M. (2008-05-29). "Double-strand breaks repair in lymphoblastoid cell lines from sisters discordant for breast cancer from the New York site of the BCFR". Carcinogenesis. 29 (7): 1367–1372. doi:10.1093/carcin/bgn140. ISSN 0143-3334. PMC 2899852. PMID 18566018.
  18. ↑ Hua, Xu; Zhou, Hui; Wu, Hui-Chen; Furnari, Julia; Kotidis, Corina P.; Rabadan, Raul; Genkinger, Jeanine M.; Bruce, Jeffrey N.; Canoll, Peter; Santella, Regina M.; Zhang, Zhiguo (2024-07-20). "Tumor detection by analysis of both symmetric- and hemi-methylation of plasma cell-free DNA". Nature Communications. 15 (1) 6113. Bibcode:2024NatCo..15.6113H. doi:10.1038/s41467-024-50471-1. ISSN 2041-1723. PMC 11271492. PMID 39030196.
  19. ↑ Wu, Hui-Chen; Cohn, Barbara A.; Cirillo, Piera M.; Santella, Regina M.; Terry, Mary Beth (March 2020). "DDT exposure during pregnancy and DNA methylation alterations in female offspring in the Child Health and Development Study". Reproductive Toxicology. 92: 138–147. Bibcode:2020RepTx..92..138W. doi:10.1016/j.reprotox.2019.02.010. PMC 6710160. PMID 30822522.
  20. ↑ Xu, Xinran; Gammon, Marilie D.; Zhang, Yujing; Cho, Yoon Hee; Wetmur, James G.; Bradshaw, Patrick T.; Garbowski, Gail; Hibshoosh, Hanina; Teitelbaum, Susan L.; Neugut, Alfred I.; Santella, Regina M.; Chen, Jia (June 2010). "Gene promoter methylation is associated with increased mortality among women with breast cancer". Breast Cancer Research and Treatment. 121 (3): 685–692. doi:10.1007/s10549-009-0628-2. ISSN 0167-6806. PMC 2869387. PMID 19921426.
  21. ↑ Zeng, Hui; Wu, Hui-Chen; Wang, Qiao; Yang, Hwai-I; Chen, Chien-Jen; Santella, Regina M; Shen, Jing (2017-02-10). "Telomere Length and Risk of Hepatocellular Carcinoma: A Nested Case–Control Study in Taiwan Cancer Screening Program Cohort". Anticancer Research. 37 (2): 637–644. doi:10.21873/anticanres.11358. PMC 5377930. PMID 28179311.
  22. ↑ Shen, Jing; Terry, Mary Beth; Gurvich, Irina; Liao, Yuyan; Senie, Ruby T.; Santella, Regina M. (2007-06-01). "Short Telomere Length and Breast Cancer Risk: A Study in Sister Sets". Cancer Research. 67 (11): 5538–5544. doi:10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-06-3490. ISSN 0008-5472. PMID 17545637.
  23. ↑ Yoon, Angela J.; Santella, Regina M.; Wang, Shuang; Kutler, David I.; Carvajal, Richard D.; Philipone, Elizabeth; Wang, Tian; Peters, Scott M.; Stewart, Claire R.; Momen-Heravi, Fatemeh; Troob, Scott; Levin, Matt; AkhavanAghdam, Zohreh; Shackelford, Austin J.; Canterbury, Carleigh R. (2021-01-15). Zheng, Dali (ed.). "MicroRNA-Based Cancer Mortality Risk Scoring System and hTERT Expression in Early-Stage Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma". Journal of Oncology. 2021: 1–11. doi:10.1155/2021/8292453. ISSN 1687-8469. PMC 7822680. PMID 33510789.
  24. ↑ Shen, Jing; Wang, Antai; Wang, Qiao; Gurvich, Irina; Siegel, Abby B.; Remotti, Helen; Santella, Regina M. (2013-12-01). "Exploration of Genome-Wide Circulating MicroRNA in Hepatocellular Carcinoma: MiR-483-5p as a Potential Biomarker". Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention. 22 (12): 2364–2373. doi:10.1158/1055-9965.EPI-13-0237. ISSN 1055-9965. PMC 3963823. PMID 24127413.
  25. ↑ "Columbia Mailman Women Faculty Named Among Top Scientists in the World". Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health. 2024-01-09. Retrieved 2025-08-23.
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