Jaime Matta, PhD

Associations

• Experimental Therapeutics Program
• Molecular Medicine Program

Education & Training

Graduate:

• University of California, UCLA, PhD - Biology
• University of California, UCLA, DSc - Biology
• University of Puerto Rico, Mayaguez, Puerto Rico, MS - Biological Oceanography

Fellowship:

• University of California, Santa Barbara -

My main research expertise is in the area of toxicology. Over the years, I have worked in three main areas within that large interdisciplinary field of toxicology. During the last seven years, I have been primarily focused in the field of clinical cancer research studying the role of DNA repair as a risk factor for skin and breast cancer. The overall goals of my laboratory are to: a) define the role of DNA repair in skin and breast cancer susceptibility and resistance to chemotherapeutic agents b) to identify DNA repair genes that are associated with significant changes in risk to skin and breast cancer, c) study mechanisms involved in the regulation of DNA repair gene expression by activated Stat3 signaling in melanoma skin cancer, d) determine how genetic and environmental factors influence the risk of skin and breast cancer at the populational level.

• Ottman R, Ganapathy K, Lin HY, Osterman CD, Dutil J, Matta J, Ruiz-Deya G, Wang L, Yamoah K, Berglund A, Chakrabarti R, Park JY. Differential Expression of miRNAs Contributes to Tumor Aggressiveness and Racial Disparity in African American Men with Prostate Cancer. Cancers (Basel). 2023 Apr.15(8). Pubmedid: 37190259. Pmcid: PMC10136561.
• Ortiz-Sánchez C, Encarnación-Medina J, Park JY, Moreno N, Ruiz-Deya G, Matta J. Reduced DNA Repair Capacity in Prostate Cancer Patients: A Phenotypic Approach Using the CometChip. Cancers (Basel). 2022 Jun.14(13). Pubmedid: 35804887. Pmcid: PMC9264934.
• Crespo-Orta I, Ortiz C, Encarnación J, Suárez E, Matta J. Association between DNA repair capacity and body mass index in women. Mutat Res-Fund Mol M. 2022 Dec.826:111813. Pubmedid: 36621052.
• Ruiz-Deya G, Matta J, Encarnación-Medina J, Ortiz-Sanchéz C, Dutil J, Putney R, Berglund A, Dhillon J, Kim Y, Park JY. Differential DNA Methylation in Prostate Tumors from Puerto Rican Men. Int J Mol Sci. 2021 Jan.22(2). Pubmedid: 33450964. Pmcid: PMC7828429.
• Berglund A, Matta J, Encarnación-Medina J, Ortiz-Sanchéz C, Dutil J, Linares R, Marcial J, Abreu-Takemura C, Moreno N, Putney R, Chakrabarti R, Lin HY, Yamoah K, Osterman CD, Wang L, Dhillon J, Kim Y, Kim SJ, Ruiz-Deya G, Park JY. Dysregulation of DNA Methylation and Epigenetic Clocks in Prostate Cancer among Puerto Rican Men. Biomolecules. 2021 Dec.12(1). Pubmedid: 35053153. Pmcid: PMC8773891.
• Ramirez-Fort MK, Naveh A, McClelland S, Gilman CK, Fort M, Mendez M, Matta J, Bomzon Z, Lange CS. Computational simulations establish a novel transducer array placement arrangement that extends delivery of therapeutic TTFields to the infratentorium of patients with brainstem gliomas. Rep Pract Oncol Radiother. 2021 Dec.26(6):1045-1050. Pubmedid: 34992879. Pmcid: PMC8726444.
• Núñez-Marrero A, Arroyo N, Godoy L, Rahman MZ, Matta JL, Dutil J. SNPs in the interleukin-12 signaling pathway are associated with breast cancer risk in Puerto Rican women. Oncotarget. 2020 Sep.11(37):3420-3431. Pubmedid: 32973967. Pmcid: PMC7500104.
• Ortiz-Sánchez C, Encarnación-Medina J, Vergne R, Padilla L, Matta J. Circulating Vitamin D Levels and DNA Repair Capacity in Four Molecular Subtypes of Women with Breast Cancer. Int J Mol Sci. 2020 Sep.21(18). Pubmedid: 32961801. Pmcid: PMC7555346.
• Lamboy-Caraballo R, Ortiz-Sanchez C, Acevedo-Santiago A, Matta J, N A Monteiro A, N Armaiz-Pena G. Norepinephrine-Induced DNA Damage in Ovarian Cancer Cells. Int J Mol Sci. 2020 Mar.21(6). Pubmedid: 32213975. Pmcid: PMC7139728.
• Rogers MJ, Ramirez-Fort MK, Kashanian JA, Broster SA, Matta J, Mahase SS, Fort DV, Niaz MJ, McClelland S, Bander NH, Fort M, Lange CS, Schlegel P, Mulhall JP. Prostatic irradiation-induced sexual dysfunction: A review and multidisciplinary guide to management in the radical radiotherapy era (Part II on Urological Management). Rep Pract Oncol Radiother. 2020 Jun.25(4):619-624. Pubmedid: 32549795. Pmcid: PMC7286930.
• Dutil J, Teer JK, Golubeva V, Yoder S, Tong WL, Arroyo N, Karam R, Echenique M, Matta JL, Monteiro AN. Germline variants in cancer genes in high-risk non-BRCA patients from Puerto Rico. Sci Rep. 2019 Nov.9(1):17769. Pubmedid: 31780696. Pmcid: PMC6882826.
• Encarnación-Medina J, Ortiz C, Vergne R, Padilla L, Matta J. MicroRNA Expression Changes in Women with Breast Cancer Stratified by DNA Repair Capacity Levels. J Oncol. 2019 May.2019:7820275. Pubmedid: 31191653. Pmcid: PMC6525916.
• Rasaii S, Sohrabian N, Gianfaldoni S, Pazyar N, Bakhshaeekia A, Lotti T, Ramirez-Pacheco LA, Lange CS, Matta J, Seifi V, Hadibarhaghtalab M, Ramirez-Fort MK, Feily A. Intralesional triamcinolone alone or in combination with botulinium toxin A is ineffective for the treatment of formed keloid scar: A double blind controlled pilot study. Dermatol Ther. 2019 Mar.32(2):e12781. Pubmedid: 30422367.
• Diaz-Zabala HJ, Ortiz AP, Garland L, Jones K, Perez CM, Mora E, Arroyo N, Oleksyk TK, Echenique M, Matta JL, Dean M, Dutil J. A Recurrent BRCA2 Mutation Explains the Majority of Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer Syndrome Cases in Puerto Rico. Cancers (Basel). 2018 Nov.10(11). Pubmedid: 30400234. Pmcid: PMC6266560.
• Dutil J, Godoy L, Rivera-Lugo R, Arroyo N, Albino E, Negrón L, Monteiro AN, Matta JL, Echenique M. No Evidence for the Pathogenicity of the BRCA2 c.6937 + 594T>G Deep Intronic Variant: A Case-Control Analysis. Genet Test Mol Biomarkers. 2018 Feb.22(2):85-89. Pubmedid: 29356578. Pmcid: PMC5806076.
• Matta J, Ortiz C, Encarnación J, Dutil J, Suárez E. Variability in DNA Repair Capacity Levels among Molecular Breast Cancer Subtypes: Triple Negative Breast Cancer Shows Lowest Repair. Int J Mol Sci. 2017 Jul.18(7). Pubmedid: 28704967. Pmcid: PMC5535995.
• Encarnación J, Ortiz C, Vergne R, Vargas W, Coppola D, Matta JL. High DRC Levels Are Associated with Let-7b Overexpression in Women with Breast Cancer. Int J Mol Sci. 2016 Jun.17(6). Pubmedid: 27271599. Pmcid: PMC4926399.
• Ortiz C, Morales L, Sastre M, Haskins WE, Matta J. Cytotoxicity and Genotoxicity Assessment of Sandalwood Essential Oil in Human Breast Cell Lines MCF-7 and MCF-10A. Evid Based Complement Alternat Med. 2016 Jun.2016:3696232. Pubmedid: 27293457. Pmcid: PMC4879231.
• Matta J, Morales L, Ortiz C, Adams D, Vargas W, Casbas P, Dutil J, Echenique M, Suárez E. Estrogen Receptor Expression Is Associated with DNA Repair Capacity in Breast Cancer. PLoS One. 2016.11(3):e0152422. Pubmedid: 27032101. Pmcid: PMC4816515.
• Dutil J, Golubeva VA, Pacheco-Torres AL, Diaz-Zabala HJ, Matta JL, Monteiro AN. The spectrum of BRCA1 and BRCA2 alleles in Latin America and the Caribbean: a clinical perspective. Breast Cancer Res Treat. 2015 Dec.154(3):441-453. Pubmedid: 26564481. Pmcid: PMC4661195.
• Wells KJ, Lima DS, Meade CD, Muñoz-Antonia T, Scarinci I, McGuire A, Gwede CK, Pledger WJ, Partridge E, Lipscomb J, Matthews R, Matta J, Flores I, Weiner R, Turner T, Miele L, Wiese TE, Fouad M, Moreno CS, Lacey M, Christie DW, Price-Haywood EG, Quinn GP, Coppola D, Sodeke SO, Green BL, Lichtveld MY. Assessing needs and assets for building a regional network infrastructure to reduce cancer related health disparities. Eval Program Plann. 2014 Jun.44:14-25. Pubmedid: 24486917. Pmcid: PMC4360072.
• Vera JL, Rullán J, Santos N, Jiménez J, Rivera J, Santana A, Briggs J, Rheingold AL, Matta J, Meléndez E. Functionalized ferrocenes: The role of the para substituent on the phenoxy pendant group. J Organomet Chem. 2014 Jan.749:204-214. Pubmedid: 27453588. Pmcid: PMC4957819.
• Pérez-Mayoral J, Pacheco-Torres AL, Morales L, Acosta-Rodríguez H, Matta JL, Dutil J. Genetic polymorphisms in RAD23B and XPC modulate DNA repair capacity and breast cancer risk in Puerto Rican women. Mol Carcinogen. 2013 Nov.52 Suppl 1:E127-E138. Pubmedid: 23776089. Pmcid: PMC4104768.
• Vergne Y, Matta J, Morales L, Vargas W, Alvarez-Garriga C, Bayona M. Breast Cancer and DNA Repair Capacity: Association With Use of Multivitamin and Calcium Supplements. Integr Med (Encinitas). 2013 Jun.12(3):38-46. Pubmedid: 24817834. Pmcid: PMC4012419.
• Matta J, Morales L, Dutil J, Bayona M, Alvarez C, Suarez E. Differential expression of DNA repair genes in Hispanic women with breast cancer. Mol Cancer Biol. 2013 Feb.1(1):54. Pubmedid: 25309843. Pmcid: PMC4189824.
• Matta JL, Flores I, Morales LM, Monteiro J, Alvarez-Garriga C, Bayona M. Women with endometriosis have a higher DNA repair capacity and diminished breast cancer risk. Mol Cancer Biol. 2013 Dec.1(1). Pubmedid: 25473592. Pmcid: PMC4248303.
• Matta J, Echenique M, Negron E, Morales L, Vargas W, Gaetan FS, Lizardi ER, Torres A, Rosado JO, Bolaños G, Cruz JG, Laboy J, Barnes R, Medina SS, Romero A, Martinez R, Dutil J, Suarez E, Alvarez-Garriga C, Bayona M. The association of DNA Repair with breast cancer risk in women. A comparative observational study. BMC Cancer. 2012 Oct.12:490. Pubmedid: 23088658. Pmcid: PMC3572436.
• Dutil J, Colon-Colon JL, Matta JL, Sutphen R, Echenique M. Identification of the prevalent BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations in the female population of Puerto Rico. Cancer Genet. 2012 May.205(5):242-248. Pubmedid: 22682623. Pmcid: PMC3655764.
• Kao WH, Riker AI, Kushwaha DS, Ng K, Enkemann SA, Jove R, Buettner R, Zinn PO, Sánchez NP, Villa JL, D'Andrea AD, Sánchez JL, Kennedy RD, Chen CC, Matta JL. Upregulation of Fanconi anemia DNA repair genes in melanoma compared with non-melanoma skin cancer. J Invest Dermatol. 2011 Oct.131(10):2139-2142. Pubmedid: 21697891. Pmcid: PMC3174338.
• Vera J, Gao LM, Santana A, Matta J, Meléndez E. Vectorized ferrocenes with estrogens and vitamin D2: synthesis, cytotoxic activity and docking studies. Dalton Trans. 2011 Oct.40(37):9557-9565. Pubmedid: 21850331. Pmcid: PMC4461443.
• Flores I, Muñoz-Antonia T, Matta J, García M, Fenstermacher D, Gutierrez S, Seijo E, Torres-Ruiz J, Pledger WJ, Coppola D. The Establishment of the First Cancer Tissue Biobank at a Hispanic-Serving Institution: A National Cancer Institute-Funded Initiative between Moffitt Cancer Center in Florida and the Ponce School of Medicine and Health Sciences in Puerto Rico. Biopreserv Biobank. 2011 Dec.9(4):363-371. Pubmedid: 24836632. Pmcid: PMC5206688.
• Porrata-Doria T, Matta JL, Acevedo SF. Apolipoprotein E Allelic Frequency Altered in Women with Early-onset Breast Cancer. Breast Cancer (Auckl). 2010 May.4:43-48. Pubmedid: 20697532. Pmcid: PMC2914274.
• Gao LM, Vera JL, Matta J, Meléndez E. Synthesis and cytotoxicity studies of steroid-functionalized titanocenes as potential anticancer drugs: sex steroids as potential vectors for titanocenes. J Biol Inorg Chem. 2010 Aug.15(6):851-859. Pubmedid: 20349254. Pmcid: PMC4461440.
• Matta JL, Rodriguez G, Villa J, Ruiz A. The role of DNA repair capacity in melanoma skin cancer risk in a population chronically exposed to high levels of sunlight. Ochsner J. 2010.10(2):75-82. Pubmedid: 21603361. Pmcid: PMC3096198.
• Feliciano I, Matta J, Meléndez E. Water-soluble molybdenocene complexes with both proliferative and antiproliferative effects on cancer cell lines and their binding interactions with human serum albumin. J Biol Inorg Chem. 2009 Sep.14(7):1109-1117. Pubmedid: 19536567. Pmcid: PMC2819120.
• Gao LM, Matta J, Rheingold AL, Meléndez E. Synthesis, Structure and Biological Activity of Amide-Functionalized Titanocenyls: Improving their Cytotoxic Properties. J Organomet Chem. 2009 Dec.694(26):4134-4139. Pubmedid: 20177431. Pmcid: PMC2824910.
• Ramos J, Villa J, Ruiz A, Armstrong R, Matta J. UV dose determines key characteristics of nonmelanoma skin cancer. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev. 2004 Dec.13(12):2006-2011. Pubmedid: 15598755.
• Ramos JM, Ruiz A, Colen R, Lopez ID, Grossman L, Matta JL. DNA repair and breast carcinoma susceptibility in women. Cancer. 2004 Apr.100(7):1352-1357. Pubmedid: 15042667.
• Matta JL, Villa JL, Ramos JM, Sanchez J, Chompré G, Ruiz A, Grossman L. DNA repair and nonmelanoma skin cancer in Puerto Rican populations. J Am Acad Dermatol. 2003 Sep.49(3):433-439. Pubmedid: 12963906.
• González MJ, Mora EM, Miranda-Massari JR, Matta J, Riordan HD, Riordan NH. Inhibition of human breast carcinoma cell proliferation by ascorbate and copper. P R Health Sci J. 2002 Mar.21(1):21-23. Pubmedid: 12013676.
• Matta J, Navas J, Milad M, Manger R, Hupka A, Frazer T. A pilot study for the detection of acute ciguatera intoxication in human blood. J Toxicol Clin Toxicol. 2002.40(1):49-57. Pubmedid: 11990204.
• Olivero OA, Larramendy M, Soloneski S, Menck CF, Matta J, Folle GA, Zamorano-Ponce E, Spivak G. Impact of EMS outreach: successful developments in Latin America. Environ Mol Mutagen. 51(8-9):763-773. Pubmedid: 20213840. Pmcid: PMC4066450.