Research Program: Tumor Biology and Progression
Professor, Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology and Department of Urologic Surgery

wilso042@umn.edu
612-467-2810 — office
612-467-2820 — lab
Preferred contact method: phone

Dr. Wilson received a Ph.D. University of Iowa in 1971. He conducted a postdoctoral fellowship in the Department of Biological Chemistry at Harvard Medical School from 1971 to 1973. He joined the faculty in the Department of Laboratory Medicine and Pathology and the VA Medical Center in 1973.

Research Interests

My research interests are the role of proteinases and peptidases in both the normal function and the abnormal tissue organization and growth in malignant neoplasia of the prostate. My current research includes determining the role of cell surface proteolysis, in particular that mediated by membrane-type matrix metalloproteinases, in regulation of prostate cancer cell growth, invasion and metastasis. A second project is biomarker discovery through proteomic analysis of cancer related proteins in prostate secretions and in laser capture microdissected cancer and benign glands of the prostate.

Selected Publications

Wilson MJ, Haller R, Li SY, Slaton JW, Sinha AA, Wasserman NF. Elevation of dipeptidylpeptidase IV (DPP IV/CD26) activities in the prostate peripheral zone and in prostatic secretions of men with prostate cancer: possible prostate cancer disease marker. J Urol. 2005;174:1124-1128.

Wilson MJ, Jiang A, Wiehr C, Wang X, Sinha AA, Pei D. Limited processing of pro-matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2, gelatinase A) over expressed by transfection in PC-3 human prostate tumor cells: association with restricted cell surface localization of membrane-type matrix metalloproteinase 1 (MT1-MMP). J Androl. 2004;25:274-285.

Wilson MJ, Sellars RG, Wiehr C, Melamud O, Pei D, Peehl DM. Expression of matrix metalloprotease-2 and –9 and their inhibitors, tissue inhibitors of metalloprotease-1 and –2, in primary cultures of human prostatic stromal and epithelial cells. J Cell Physiol. 2002;191:208-216.