Professor Heather Wilkins and Kristin Doucet '07: Finding the Perfect Balance
by Stacey MacDonald '06

July, 2005—Dr. Heather Wilkins, assistant professor of Biology, and Kristin Doucet ’07 of Leominster, MA, have a great balanced working relationship. However, the colon cancer cells they are studying do not share the same equilibrium; they exhibit abnormal growth, which is typical of many cancer cells.

Dr. Wilkins and Doucet are investigating the effect of estrogen on the death of a colon cancer cell line known as Colo205. Their hypothesis is that higher amounts of estrogen will lead to more colon cancer cell death. They have been performing tests to see if their findings corroborate with previous research, which shows that increased levels of estrogen in the body may decrease the risk of colon cancer.

How does estrogen cause the death of colon cancer cells? Why have pre-menopausal women been found to have a lower risk of colon cancer than men? Wilkins and Doucet hope to gain some insight into these questions by focusing specifically on the multi-drug resistance (MDR) proteins in colon cells. Doucet explains, “Colon cancer cells that have the MDR protein (a channel in the membrane) are more resistant to some chemotherapy treatments. Through our research, we hope to find out how estrogen affects this resistance.”

Wilkins and Doucet’s experiments may shed light on the treatment of colon cancer cells. However, Wilkins states, “We are only investigating a small piece of the puzzle. Colon cancer research is a large field; there is always more to be done.”

Wilkins has had a long-standing interest in cell death and division. She earned her Ph.D. at the University of Maryland researching the development, maintenance, and loss of receptor cells in the ear. She then began her work with colon cells, while doing research at the University of North Carolina. Her interest in the current project was sparked by those two experiences. “In many healthy organs, there is a balance between the production and the death of cells,” she states. “Cancer sometimes occurs when this balance does not exist and the body produces more cells than it needs.” Wilkins’ summer research will try to account some of the reasons for the imbalance between cell death and division in the colon cancer cells.

A biology major, Kristin plans to attend graduate school for a career in occupational therapy. Her interests in gerontology and aging led her to become involved in cancer research. Wilkins chose Kristin as her summer intern because “she showed a genuine interest in the position, posed interesting questions, and above all, had outstanding recommendations.” Wilkins also adds, “In addition, we had a good rapport right from the start, which is important.”