Patricia A. Kruk
Professor of pathology and cell biology, University of South Florida

Patricia A. Kruk is working on developing a simple screening test that can detect ovarian cancer before it spreads. [Photo: Mark Wemple]

» Patricia Kruk's research could lead to a simple, more sensitive screening test for ovarian cancer to detect the disease before it spreads. Kruk studies molecular changes responsible for early stages of ovarian cancer — a deadly disease that's usually detected late because its symptoms are vague and there's no accurate early screening test. She has worked with colleagues at USF, Moffitt Cancer Center, MD Anderson Cancer Center and the Marsha Rivkin Center for Ovarian Cancer to develop urinary biomarkers for cancer detection. Her goal is to create a simple urine test that would become part of women's annual exams and catch ovarian cancer before it spreads beyond the ovaries.

Kruk's research has discovered that the level of an anti-apoptotic protein in urine, called Bcl-2, is 10 times higher in women with ovarian cancer than it is in healthy women. She is awaiting approval of a patent for her method of measuring urinary levels of Bcl-2. Additionally, USF is pursuing a licensing partner for the technology.

When she joined the USF College of Medicine in 1996, Kruk was already known for originating a successful technique to isolate and culture ovarian surface epithelial cells, including those derived from women with inherited ovarian cancer. At USF, she developed a research project focused on the molecular regulation and biological consequences of reactivation of the enzyme telomerase in ovarian cancer. She won two grants to study the urinary biomarker and is doing research to further validate her initial data. Until now, researchers had looked at blood biomarkers, which typically are monitored after ovarian cancer is detected. Kruk is considered among the pioneers conducting research in urinary biomarkers. She recently was presented with the USF Excellence in Innovation Award.

"When I pursued my Ph.D., I was advised to find something I would be passionate about in research," she says.

"I followed that advice."