Janice Burke, PhD
Marjorie & Joseph Heil Professor of Ophthalmology
Professor of Cell Biology, Neurobiology, and Anatomy
Phone: (414)456-7808
FAX: (414)456-6304
E-mail: jburke@mcw.edu
Address:
The Eye Institute
925 N. 87th St.
Milwaukee, WI. 53226
Janice M. Burke, PhD has used cells cultured from the human retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) for many years to study basic features of the structure and function of these cells. Her current major interests are in determining how the RPE develops and maintains its characteristic cell shape, and in identifying how aging may reduce the effectiveness of the RPE as a supporting layer for retinal photoreceptors. These two areas are particularly timely. Transplantation of the RPE is being developed by others to treat degenerative diseases of the retina, such as age-related macular degeneration. However, one impediment to transplantation is producing donor RPE tissue in which the cells develop and retain their normal, highly-regular cell phenotype. Dr. Burke has determined that a major molecular determinant of cell shape, cellular adhesion, is altered by the very dissociation process used to produce tissue for transplantation, and most RPE cells fail to restore their shape even after months. The next step, which is a significant challenge, is to identify the molecular pathways which regulate the formation of adhesions in RPE cells so that cell shape recovery can be accelerated and induced to occur in a higher proportion of cells.
Dr. Burke is also principal investigator on a Core Grant for Vision Research from the National Eye Institute that helps to support the research activities of several investigators at MCW who study the eye and visual system.
Education
* PhD, Cell and Developmental Biology, University of Massachusetts
Postdoctoral Training
* Biochemistry, University of Washington School of Medicine
Current Research Interests
* Cell-Cell Adhesion in the Retinal Pigment Epithelium
* Cytoskeleton and Determinants of RPE Cell Shape
* Cellular Aging of the RPE and Aging Macular Degeneration
Honors and Society Memberships
* Executive Vice President, ARVO (1992-1997)
* Research to Prevent Blindness Senior Scientific Investigator Award (1992 & 1999)
* National Eye Institute Advisory Panels and Review Groups (1981-present)
* Principal Investigator, NEI Core Grant for Vision Research (1985-present)
* Grant Reviewer, NSF, VA Merit Review, California Tobacco Foundation (1983-present)
* American Association for Advancement of Science
* American Society for Cell Biology
* Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology
Recent Publications
* McKay BS, Irving PE, Skumatz CM, Burke JM. Cell-cell adhesion molecules and the development of an epithelial phenotype in cultured human retinal pigment epithelial cells. Experimental Eye Research 1997;65(5):661-71.
* McKay BS, Burke JM. Cell association increases RPE outgrowth from primary explant. Current Eye Research 1997;16(9):891-9.
* Cao F, Burke JM. Protein insolubility and late-stage morphogenesis in long-term postconfluent cultures of MDCK epithelial cells. Biochemical & Biophysical Research Communications 1997;234(3):719-28.
* Rozanowska M, Bober A, Burke JM, Sarna T. The role of retinal pigment epithelium melanin in photoinduced oxidation of ascorbate. Photochemistry & Photobiology 1997;65(3):472-9.
* Pollack JS, Kim JE, Pulido JS, Burke JM. Tissue effects of subclinical diode laser treatment of the retina. Archives of Ophthalmology 1998;116(12):1633-9.
* Rozanowska M, Wessels J, Boulton M, et al. Blue light-induced singlet oxygen generation by retinal lipofuscin in non-polar media. Free Radical Biology & Medicine 1998;24(7-8):1107-12.
* Burke JM, Skumatz CM. Autofluorescent inclusions in long-term postconfluent cultures of retinal pigment epithelium. Investigative Ophthalmology & Visual Science 1998;39(8):1478-86.
* Wassell J, Ellis S, Burke JM, Boulton M. Fluorescence properties of autofluorescent granules generated by cultured human RPE cells. Invest. Ophthalmol. Vis. Sci. 1998;39:1487-1492.
* Burke JM, Determinants of RPE phenotype and polarity, in Retinal Pigment Epithelium - Function and Disease, M.F. Marmor and T.J. Wolfensberger, Editors. 1998, Oxford University Press: London. p. 86-102.
* Burke JM, Cao F, Irving PE, Skumatz CM. Expression of E-cadherin by human retinal pigment epithelium: delayed expression in vitro. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 1999;40:2963-2970.
* Cao F, Yanagihara N, Burke JM. Progressive association of a "soluble" glycolytic enzyme with the detergent-insoluble cytoskeleton during in vitro morphogenesis of MDCK epithelial cells. Cell Motil Cytoskeleton 1999;44:133-142.
* Burke JM, Cao F, Irving PE. Higher levels of E-/P-cadherin correlate with decreased apical polarity of Na-K ATPase in bovine RPE cells in situ. Invest Ophthalmol in press.
* Rózanowska, M Korytowski W, Rozanowski B, Skumatz C, Boulton ME, Burke JM, Sarna T. Photoreactivity of aged human RPE melanosomes: a comparison with lipofuscin. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 2002;43:2088-2096.
* Sarna T, Burke JM, Korytowski W, Rozanowska M, Skumatz CMB, Zareba A, Zareba M. Loss of melanin from human RPE with aging: possible role of melanin photooxidation. Exp. Eye Res. 76:89-98, 2003.