Biomarker Core Co - Director

Contact information:
Cancer Center
University of Minnesota
MMC 806, Del Code 8806
Minneapolis, MN 55455
Office: (612) 624-7633
murph062@umn.edu

Sharon Murphy, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Biochemistry at the University of Minnesota Cancer Center and Co-Director for the Biomarkers Core at the Transdisciplinary Tobacco Use Research Center (TTURC) at the University of Minnesota. Dr. Murphy received her Doctorate in Chemistry from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Before coming to the University of Minnesota, she was a research scientist at the American Health Foundation in Valhalla, NY.

Dr. Murphy has extensive experience in the metabolism of tobacco specific carcinogens and the quantification of nicotine metabolites. On-going research interests include the characterization of cytochrome P450 enzymes involved in the metabolism of nicotine and it's metabolites. In addition, Dr. Murphy's research investigates the role of extrahepatic P450s, i.e., lung and esophagus in the metabolism of nitrosamines. She has served as a reviewer for numerous journals including: Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention, Cancer Research, Carcinogenesis, Chemical Research in Toxicology, Cancer Letters, Psychopharmacology, Drug Metabolism and Disposition, Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Pharmaceutics. She has also served on the review panel for The Molecular Pathogenesis of Oral Cancer, and the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research.

Selected Recent Publications

1. von Weymarn LB, Brown KM, and Murphy SE. Inactivation of CYP2A6 and CYP2A13 during nicotine metabolism. J Pharmacol Exp Ther. 2006;316:295-303.
   
   
2. Jalas,J.R., Hecht,S.S., and Murphy,S.E. Cytochrome P450 enzymes as catalysts of metabolism of 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone (NNK), a tobacco-specific carcinogen. Chem Res Toxicol. 2005;18:95-110.
   
   
3. Brown KM, von Weymarn LB, and Murphy SE. Identification of N-(hydroxymethyl)-norcotinine as a major product of cytochrome P450 2A6, but not cytochrome P450 2A13-catalyzed cotinine metabolism. Chem Res Toxicol. 2005;18:1792-1798.
   
   
4. Dicke K, Skrlin S, and Murphy SE. Nicotine and 4-(methylnitrosamino)-1-(3-pyridyl)-butanone (NNK) metabolism by P450 2B6. Drug Metab Dispos. 2005:33:1760-1764.
   
   
5. Murphy SE, Raulinaitis V, and Brown KM. Nicotine 5'-oxidation and methyl oxidation by P450 2A enzymes. Drug Metab Dispos. 2005;13:1166-1173.
   
   
6. Wong HL, Zhang X, Zhang QY, Gu ,J, Ding X, Hecht SS, and Murphy SE. Metabolic activation of the tobacco carcinogen 4-(methylnitrosamino)-(3-pyridyl)-1-butanone by cytochrome p450 2A13 in human fetal nasal microsomes. Chem Res Toxicol. 2005;18:913-918.
   
   
7. Hatsukami DK, Lemmonds C, Zhang Y, Murphy SE, Le C, Carmella SG, and Hecht SS. Evaluation of carcinogen exposure in people who used "reduced exposure" tobacco products. Journal of the National Cancer Institute. 2004;96(11):844-852.
   
   
8. Hecht SS, Murphy SE, Carmella SG, Zimmerman CL, Losey L, Kramarczuk I, Roe MR, Puumala SS, Li YS, Le C, Jensen J, and Hatsukami DK. Effects of reduced cigarette smoking on the uptake of a tobacco-specific lung carcinogen. Journal of the National Cancer Institute. 2004;96(2):107-115.
   
   
9. Murphy SE, Link CA, Jensen J, Le C, Puumala SS, Hecht SS, Carmella SG, Losey L, and Hatsukami DK. A comparison of urinary biomarkers of tobacco and carcinogen exposure in smokers. Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention. 2004;13(10):1617-1623.
   
   
10. Anderson KE, Kliris J, Murphy L, Carmella SG, Han S, Link C, Bliss RL, Puumala S, Murphy SE, and Hecht SS. Metabolites of a tobacco-specific lung carcinogen in nonsmoking casino patrons. Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention. 2003;12(12):1544-1546.