Alice C. Levine

PROFESSOR Medicine, Endocrinology, Diabetes and Bone Disease
ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR Oncological Sciences

Print Profile

Email

alice.levine@mountsinai.org

Specialty

Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism

Certifications

Endocrinology
American Board of Internal Medicine

Clinical Focus

Education

MD, Columbia University College of Physicians & Surgeons
Residency, Internal Medicine
New York University
Residency, Internal Medicine
Veterans Administration Med. Ctr.
Residency, Internal Medicine
Bellevue Hospital Center
Fellowship, Endocrinology & Metabolism
Mount Sinai Hospital

Biography

Dr. Alice Levine has been a faculty member of the Mount Sinai School of Medicine since 1986 when she completed her Fellowship in Endocrinology and Metabolism. She divides her time between clinical, teaching and research activities. Her clinical interests are diseases of the adrenal, pituitary and reproductive glands with an emphasis on hormone-dependent neoplasias. She publishes extensively in these fields. She is the Course Director for the Second Year Medical School Endocrine Pathophysiology Course and is often cited as one of the outstanding Faculty Teachers by Medical Students, Residents and Fellows. In her role as Associate Program Director of the Research Track of the Internal Medicine Residency and Research Director of the Endocrine Fellowship Program, she mentors students, trainees and faculty in clinical and basic science research.

Research

Interactive roles of androgens and growth factors in human prostate development and neoplasia

Dr. Levine’s Research Laboratory focuses on understanding how hormones and growth factors coordinately regulate prostate growth in order to develop new treatment strategies for men with prostatic disorders. Co-directed by Dr. Alexander Kirschenbaum, Clinical Associate Professor of Urology, her group was the first to publish on the successful management of benign prostatic hyperplasia with hormonal therapy. They also reported that androgens increase stromal cell growth in the prostate and also regulate the powerful angiogenic factor, vascular endothelial cell growth factor (VEGF). Dr. Levine’s group were also among the first to determine the cell-specific expression of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) in the human prostate and to report that selective COX-2 inhibitors kill prostate cancer cells in vitro and in vivo. They established the role of COX-2 in hypoxia mediated upregulation of survival and angiogenic proteins in human prostate cancer cells. Dr. Levine’s group recently isolated and characterized a protein derived from dietary bitter melon seeds that selectively kills pre-neoplastic and neoplastic prostate cancer cells. Her group has also published extensively on the mechanisms underlying prostate cancer bone metastases and developed a bone-targeting compound aimed at preventing and treating prostate cancer bone metastases.

Publications

Galati S, Hopkins S, Cheesman K, Zhuk , Levine . Primary aldosteronism: emerging trends. Trends in Endocrinology and Metabolism 2013 June; 24(9).

Cannata D, Kirschenbaum A, Levine A. Clinical Case Seminar: Androgen Deprivation Therapy as Primary Treatment for Prostate Cancer. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 2012 Feb; 97(2).

Kirschenbaum A, Liu X, Leiter A, Yao S, Levine A. Prostatic acid phosphatase secreted by human prostate cancer cells is highly expressed in bone metastases and stimulates osteoblast growth and differentiation. NY Acad. Sci 2011 Nov; Vol 1237: 64-70.

Xiong SD, Yu K, Liu X, Yin LH, Kirschenbaum A, Yao S, Narla G, DiFeo A, Wu JB, Yuan Y, Ho S, Lam YW, Levine AC. Ribosome-inactivating proteins isolated from dietary bitter melon induce apoptosis and inhibit histone deacetylase-1 selectively in premalignant and malignant prostate cancer cells.. Int. J. Cancer 2009; 125: 774-782.

Liu X, Kirschenbaum A, Yao S, Aaronson SA, Liu G, Levine AC. Androgen-induced Wnt signaling activation in preosteoblasts promotes the growth of MDA-PCA-2b human prostate cancer cells.. Cancer research 2007; 67(12): 5747-5753.

Kirschenbaum A, Liu X, Yao S, Narla G, Friedman SL, Martignetti JA, Levine AC. Sex steroids have differential effects on growth and gene expression in primary human prostate epithelial cell cultures derived from the peripheral vs. transitionzones.. Carcinogenesis 2006; 27: 216-224.

Liu X, Kirschenbaum A, Yao S, Levine AC. IL-6 and prostaglandin E2 signaling system results in enhancement of osteoclastogenesis through effects on the osteoprotegerin/receptor activator of nuclear factor-kb (RANK) ligand/RANK system. Endocrinology 2005; 146(4): 1991-1998.

Liu X, Kirschenbaum A, Yu K, Yao S, Levine AC. Cyclooxygenase-2 suppresses hypoxia-induced apoptosis via a combination of direct and indirect inhibition of p53 activity in a human prostate cancer cell line.. J Biol Chem 2005; 280: 3817-3823.

Liu X, Kirschenbaum A, Lu M, Yao S, Dosoretz A, Holland JF, Levine AC. Prostaglandin E2 induces hypoxia-inducible factor-1a stabilizationand nuclear localization in a human prostate cancer cell kine.. J. of Biol. Chem 2002; 277: 50081-50086.

Liu X, Kirschenbaum A, Lu M, Yao S, Klausner A, Preston C, Holland J, Levine AC. Prostaglandin E2 stimulates prostatic intraepithelial neoplasis cell growth through activation of the interleukin-6/GP 130/STAT-3 signaling pathway.. Biochem & Biophys Research Comm 2002; 290: 249-255.

Liu X, Kirschenbaum A, Yao S, Lee R, Holland JF, Levine AC. Inhibition of cyclooxygenase-2 suppresses angiogenesis and growth of prostate cancer in vivo. J Urology 2000; 164: 820-825.

Liu X, Yao S, Kirschenbaum A, Levine AC. NS398, a selective cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor, induces apoptosis and down-regulates Bcl-2 expression in LNCaP cells. Cancer res 1998; 58: 4245-4249.

Gabrilove JL, Levine AC, Kirschenbaum A, Droller MA. Effect of a GnRH analogue (leuprolide) on benigen prostatic hypertrophy. J Clin Endo Metab 1987; 6: 1331-1333.

Industry Relationships

Physicians and scientists on the faculty of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai often interact with pharmaceutical, device and biotechnology companies to improve patient care, develop new therapies and achieve scientific breakthroughs. In order to promote an ethical and transparent environment for conducting research, providing clinical care and teaching, Mount Sinai requires that salaried faculty inform the School of their relationships with such companies.

Below are financial relationships with industry reported by Dr. Levine during 2012 and/or 2013. Please note that this information may differ from information posted on corporate sites due to timing or classification differences.

Consulting:

Corcept Therapeutics

Mount Sinai's faculty policies relating to faculty collaboration with industry are posted on our website at http://icahn.mssm.edu/about-us/services-and-resources/faculty-resources/handbooks-and-policies/faculty-handbook. Patients may wish to ask their physician about the activities they perform for companies.

Edit profile in Sinai Central