Biology

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Josephine Modica-Napolitano

Josephine Modica-Napolitano, Ph.D.
 Professor of Biology
Dean, School of Science and Engineering

B.S. University of Massachusetts
Ph.D. Tufts University

Office:  Mendel 100
Tel:       978-837-5000, ext. 5314
Email:    Josephine.ModicaNapolitano@merrimack.edu

Courses Taught:  Biochemistry, Methods in Cell and Molecular Biology, Animal Cell Culture Techniques, Special Topics in Biology, Senior Thesis Research

Research Interests

My primary research interest is in the study of mitochondria. I am particularly interested in investigating differences in mitochondrial structure and function between normal epithelial and carcinoma cells, and in investigating means to exploit these differences as targets for cancer chemotherapy. Currently, student researchers in my laboratory are undertaking a comprehensive, comparative biochemical and molecular analysis of mitochondria isolated from several control epithelial and carcinoma cell lines in an effort to determine the underlying basis for measured differences in mitochondrial membrane potential between these cell types. A determination of the biochemical and molecular basis for differences in mitochondrial membrane potential between normal epithelial and carcinoma cells could provide novel, selective and site-specific targets for new anti-cancer agents.

Selected Publications

* denotes undergraduate researcher

Modica-Napolitano, J.S., Kulawiec, M. and Singh, KK. 2007. Mitochondria and human cancer. Current Molecular Medicine 7 (1):121-131.

Modica-Napolitano, J.S. and Singh, K.K. 2004. Mitochondrial Dysfunction in Cancer. Mitochondrion 4:755-762.

Aprille, J.R., Lagace, C.J., Modica-Napolitano, J.S. and Trimmer, B.A. 2004. Role of nitric oxide and mitochondria in control of firefly flash. Integrative and Comparative Biology 44(3):213-219.

Trimmer, B.A., Aprille, J. and Modica-Napolitano, J.S. 2004. Nitric oxide signaling: Insect brains and photocytes. Biochemical Society Annual Symposium No. 71: 65-83.

Modica-Napolitano, J.S. and Renshaw P.F. 2004. Ethanolamine and phosphoethanolamine inhibit mitochondrial function in vitro: Implications for mitochondrial dysfunction hypothesis in depression and bipolar disorder. Biological Psychiatry 55:273-277.

Modica-Napolitano, J.S., Lagace, C.J., Brennan, W.A., and Aprille, J.R. 2003. Differential effects of typical vs. atypical neuroleptics on mitochondrial function in vitro. Archives of Pharmaceutical Research 26:951-959.

Modica-Napolitano, J.S., *Nalbandian, R., *Kidd, M.E., *Nalbandian, A., *Nguyen, C.C. 2003. The selective in vitro cytotoxicity of carcinoma cells by AZT is enhanced by concurrent treatment with delocalized lipophilic cations. Cancer Letters 198:59-68.

Hagen, T., Lagace, C.J. and Modica-Napolitano, J.S. and Aprille, J.R. 2003. Permeability transition in rat liver mitochondria is modulated by the ATP-Mg/Pi carrier. American Journal of Physioliology Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology 285:G274-G281.

Aprille, J.R, Lagace, C.J., Lewis, S.M., Michel, T., Modica-Napolitano, J.S., Trimmer, B.A. and Zayas, R.M. 2002. Mechanism of firefly flash control: nitric oxide inhibition of oxygen consumption in lantern mitochondria is reversed by light. In Bioluminescence and Chemiluminescence: Progress & Current Applications, pp 25-28 Editors: Stanley PE & Kricka LJ Publisher: World Scientific Publishing, Singapore.

Modica-Napolitano, J.S. and Singh, K.K. 2002. Mitochondria as Targets for the detection and treatment of cancer. Expert Reviews in Molecular Medicine, Cambridge University Press, http://www.ermm.cbcu.cam.ac.uk_. 2002.

Modica-Napolitano, J.S. and Aprille, J.R. 2001. Delocalized lipophilic cations selctively target the mitochondria of carcinoma cells. Advanced Drug Delivery Reviews. 49:63-70.

Modica-Napolitano, J.S. 1998. The mitochondrion as a target for cancer chemotherapy. Iin: Mitochondrial DNA Mutations in Aging, Disease and Cancer. Keshav Singh (ed.), R.G. Landes, Austin, TX, p 337-344.

Modica-Napolitano, J.S., *Brunelli, B.T., Koya, K. and Chen, L.B. 1998. Photoactivation enhances the mitochondrial toxicity of MKT-077. Cancer Research 58:71-75.

Josephine Modica-Napolitano, Ph.D.
Professor and Chair of Biology
Josephine.ModicaNapolitano@merrimack.edu