Debra Tonetti
Professor of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy - Pharmaceutical Sciences
Leader, Breast Cancer Working Group, UI Cancer Center, University of Illinois at Chicago
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About
Teaching and Supervision
PSCI Ph.D. Thesis Research (PSCI 45177), 1/12/2026 – 5/1/2026
Pathobiology of Cancer (PATH 43717), 1/12/2026 – 5/1/2026
PSCI Ph.D. Thesis Research (PSCI 599), 8/25/2025 – 12/5/2025
PSCI Ph.D. Thesis Research (PSCI 599), 6/16/2025 – 8/8/2025
Pharm Sciences Rotation (PSCI 592), 6/16/2025 – 8/8/2025
PSCI Ph.D. Thesis Research (PSCI 599), 1/13/2025 – 5/2/2025
Pharm Sciences Rotation (PSCI 592), 1/13/2025 – 5/2/2025
Pathobiology of Cancer (PATH 511), 1/13/2025 – 5/2/2025
PSCI Ph.D. Thesis Research (PSCI 599), 8/26/2024 – 12/6/2024
Selected Grants
Engineered mineralized hydrogels to study microcalcifications in breast cancer, National Institutes of Health (National Cancer Institute)., 5/1/2026 - 4/30/2031, Obligated Amount: $565909; Anticipated Amount: $2803637
Ceramide actions in endocrine therapy-resistant breast cancer models, Susan G Komen Breast Cancer Foundation., 9/6/2024 - 9/5/2027, Obligated Amount: $200000; Anticipated Amount: $200000
Finding cancer vulnerability through analysis of tolerant cell populations, American Lung Association of Metropolitan Chicago., 7/1/2022 - 6/30/2024, Obligated Amount: $200000; Anticipated Amount: $200000
Estrogen Receptor and NFkB Crosstalk in Breast Cancer, National Institutes of Health (National Cancer Institute)., 2/1/2022 - 1/31/2027, Obligated Amount: $2351521; Anticipated Amount: $2384909
Breast cancer virotherapy, National Institutes of Health (National Cancer Institute)., 4/1/2021 - 3/31/2024, Obligated Amount: $406658; Anticipated Amount: $411143
Targeting Serine Auxotrophy in Luminal Breast Cancer, National Institutes of Health (National Cancer Institute)., 3/1/2021 - 2/28/2026, Obligated Amount: $1773268; Anticipated Amount: $1798445
A Novel Biomarker for TTC-352 Therapy Development., 5/15/2019 - 4/30/2020, Obligated Amount: $1000000; No Anticipated Amount Set
A novel biomarker for TTC 352 cancer therapy development, University of Illinois DPI Seed Funding Program., 5/1/2019 - 4/30/2020, Obligated Amount: $100000; Anticipated Amount: $100000
A Novel BET Inhibitor for Breast Cancer Combinatiion Therapy, Chicago Biomedical Consortium., 1/1/2019 - 12/31/2019, Obligated Amount: $100000; Anticipated Amount: $100000
Selected Publications
Pal, Purab, Chitkara, Shweta, Sarpey, Godwin K, Vashi, Aanshi, Rawat, Vipin, Alani, Fatimah, Zhao, Huiping, Ata, Malik, Qu, Jun, Schiff, Rachel, Tonetti, Debra, Greene, Geoffrey L, Frasor, Jonna, Atilla-Gokcumen, Gunes Ekin, Coloff, Jonathan L. (2026). Ceramide-induced endoplasmic reticulum stress reveals a targetable vulnerability in endocrine therapy-resistant breast cancer. Molecular Cancer Research, 24, (9), 784-800. doi:10.1158/1541-7786.mcr-25-0964.
Burns, Philippa A, Tabatabaei, Negar, Selfors, Laura M, Zhao, Huiping, Sultonova, Mukhayyo, Rawat, Vipin, Paulo, Joao A, Sarpey, Godwin K, Vashi, Aanshi, Dahunsi, Debolanle O, Ozgurses, Mete Emir, Prashanth, Prarthana, Fan, Hao, Garrett-Bakelman, Francine E, Tonetti, Debra A, Murphy, J Patrick, Tahmasebi, Soroush, Semina, Svetlana E, Coloff, Jonathan L. (2026). Serine Starvation Modulates mRNA Splicing through Translational Inhibition of SRSF Proteins.. Cancer Research, of1-of17. doi:10.1158/0008-5472.can-25-4971.
Semina, Svetlana, Huggins, Rosemary J, Zhao, Huiping, Tonetti, Debra, Hoskins, Kent, Greene, Geoffrey L, Frasor, Jonna. (2025). Abstract P5-06-03: Single-cell and spatial approach to study endocrine therapy sensitivity in breast cancer models with heterogeneous estrogen receptor expression. Clinical Cancer Research, 31, (12_Supplement), p5-06-03-p5-06-03. doi:10.1158/1557-3265.sabcs24-p5-06-03.
Shete, Nivida, Tonetti, Debra A. (2025). Abstract P4-05-25: Impact of Estrogen Receptor Targeting Drugs on a Novel Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition Pathway in Endocrine Resistant Breast Cancer: Implications for Metastasis. Clinical Cancer Research, 31, (12_Supplement), p4-05-25-p4-05-25. doi:10.1158/1557-3265.sabcs24-p4-05-25.
Shete, Nivida, Tonetti, Debra A. (2025). Abstract LB272: The ER partial agonist TTC-352 inhibits a novel epithelial-mesenchymal transition pathway, and induces DNA damage in endocrine-resistant breast cancer cells. Cancer Research, 85, (8_Supplement_2), lb272-lb272. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.am2025-lb272.
Semina, Svetlana E, Huggins, Rosemary Huggins J, Tonetti, Debra, Hoskins, Kent, Greene, Geoffrey L, Frasor, Jonna, Coloff, Jonathan. (2025). Abstract 5539: Single-cell and spatial approaches of identifying targets in endocrine therapy-resistant breast cancer. Cancer Research, 85, (8_Supplement_1), 5539-5539. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.am2025-5539.
Tonetti, Debra A, Osipo, Clodia, O’Regan, Ruth M. (2025). Dr V. Craig Jordan, PhD, DSc, FAACR. Cancer, 131, (1), e35643. doi:10.1002/cncr.35643.
Means-Powell, Julie A, Mayer, Ingrid A, Ismail-Khan, Roohi, Del Valle, Luis, Tonetti, Debra, Abramson, Vandana G, Sanders, Melinda S, Lush, Richard M, Sorrentino, Claudia, Majumder, Samarpan, Miele, Lucio. (2022). A Phase Ib Dose Escalation Trial of RO4929097 (a γ-secretase inhibitor) in Combination with Exemestane in Patients with ER + Metastatic Breast Cancer (MBC). Clinical Breast Cancer, 22, (2), 103-114. doi:10.1016/j.clbc.2021.10.013.
Abderrahman, Balkees, Maximov, Philipp Y, Curpan, Ramona F, Fanning, Sean W, Hanspal, Jay S, Fan, Ping, Foulds, Charles E, Chen, Yue, Malovannaya, Anna, Jain, Antrix, Xiong, Rui, Greene, Geoffrey L, Tonetti, Debra A, Thatcher, Gregory RJ, Jordan, V Craig. (2021). Rapid Induction of the Unfolded Protein Response and Apoptosis by Estrogen Mimic TTC-352 for the Treatment of Endocrine-Resistant Breast Cancer. Molecular Cancer Therapeutics, 20, (1), 11-25. doi:10.1158/1535-7163.mct-20-0563.
Education
Degrees:
Doctor of Philosophy, Loyola University Chicago, United States, 1990
Master of Science, Loyola University Chicago, United States, 1985
Bachelor of Science, Northern Illinois University, United States, 1980
Postgraduate Training:
Enrico Fermi Postdoctoral Fellow, Argonne National Laboratory, United States, 1994