Anne C. Breggia, PhD

Director, Center for Applied Science and Technology

Education

BS: University of New Hampshire
MS: University of Southern Maine
PhD: University of Maine

Board Certification

  • Medical Laboratory Scientist, American Society of Clinical Pathologists (MLS, ASCP)
  • Certified Histocompatibility Specialist, American Board of Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics (CHS, ABHI)

Dr. Breggia is a molecular biologist and translational research scientist who joined MaineHealth in 1991, serving for over 10 years as histocompatibility specialist and laboratory supervisor for the MMC solid organ transplant program. In 2008 following her graduate studies and post-doctoral fellowship, Dr. Breggia was recruited as the Research Program Director of the MMC BioBank and MHIR Research Laboratory Services core and in 2021 as the Director of the Center for Applied Science and Technology at MHIR. Prior to joining MaineHealth, Dr. Breggia held clinical laboratory scientist and management positions at the Foundation for Blood Research, Scarborough, ME and the American Red Cross, Portland, ME.

In her current position as Director of the Center for Applied Science and Technology, Dr. Breggia, in collaboration with co-Director Dr. Robert Carlson, supports and facilitates the basic science and clinical research of scientists and physicians at MHIR and throughout MaineHealth. Dr. Breggia directs the operations of the MMC BioBank and Research Laboratory Services Core at MHIR, two divisions of the Center, and coordinates the clinical resources and services available at NorDx needed for study initiation and execution.

As Chair of the MaineHealth Precision Medicine Council since 2020, Dr. Breggia leads the efforts of 12 council members and overseas the precision medicine initiatives of working groups in oncology, cardiology, benign hematology, neurology and pediatrics.

Dr. Breggia also serves as a Clinical Coach for the MaineHealth Innovation Center and has reviewed numerous Ignite and Bonfire funding applications representing a wide variety of innovative projects submitted by health care workers throughout Maine Health.

Dr. Breggia has served as a Biorepository Inspector for the College of American Pathologists (CAP) since 2014 and has conducted inspections of biorepositories at numerous academic institutes throughout the United States including St Jude’s Children’s Research Hospital in Memphis, TN and the Mount Sinai Icahn School of Medicine in New York, NY.

As an invited member of the ASCP Board of Certification Biorepository/Biobanking Work Group based in Chicago, IL, Dr. Breggia has participated in the development of a first-of-its-kind international certification exam and credentialing process for biorepository personnel.

Dr. Breggia received her PhD in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from the University of Maine, Orono, and is board certified as a Clinical Laboratory Scientist by the American Society of Clinical Pathologists (CLS, ASCP) and as a Histocompatibility Specialist by the American Board of Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics (CHS, ABHI).

Dr. Breggia served as co-investigator for the NIH/National Children’s Study Formative Research Proposal, as Principal Investigator for The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and currently is the Principal Investigator for the NIH/NCI Cancer Moonshot Biobank study being conducted throughout the MaineHealth Cancer Care Network (MHCCN).

Dr. Breggia has over 50 publications reflecting her research interests in acute and chronic kidney injury, bone metabolism and disease and cancer etiology and therapeutics.

Cancer

Exosomal Carboxypeptidase E (CPE) and CPE-shRNA-Loaded Exosomes Regulate Metastatic Phenotype of Tumor Cells.Hareendran S, Albraidy B, Yang X, Liu A, Breggia A, Chen CC, Loh YP.Int J Mol Sci. 2022 Mar 14;23(6):3113. doi: 10.3390/ijms23063113.PMID: 35328535

Growth of human breast tissues from patient cells in 3D hydrogel scaffolds. Sokol ES, Miller DH, Breggia A, Spencer KC, Arendt LM, Gupta PB.Breast Cancer Res. 2016 Mar 1;18(1):19. doi: 10.1186/s13058-016-0677-5.PMID: 26926363

Attenuating homologous recombination stimulates an AID-induced antileukemic effect.
Lamont KR, Hasham MG, Donghia NM, Branca J, Chavaree M, Chase B, Breggia A, Hedlund J, Emery I, Cavallo F, Jasin M, Rüter J, Mills KD.J Exp Med. 2013 May 6;210(5):1021-33. doi: 10.1084/jem.20121258.PMID: 23589568

Multimodal chronic pain rehabilitation program: its effect on immune function, depression, and health behaviors. Vines SW, Ng AK, Breggia A, Mahoney R.Rehabil Nurs. 2000 Sep-Oct;25(5):185-91, 196. doi: 10.1002/j.2048-7940.2000.tb01903.x.PMID: 11998084

Bone Metabolism and Disease

Treatment With a Ghrelin Agonist in Outpatient Women With Anorexia Nervosa: A Randomized Clinical Trial. Fazeli PK, Lawson EA, Faje AT, Eddy KT, Lee H, Fiedorek FT, Breggia A, Gaal IM, DeSanti R, Klibanski A.J Clin Psychiatry. 2018 Jan/Feb;79(1):17m11585. doi: 10.4088/JCP.17m11585.PMID: 29325236

Deletion of Mbtps1 (Pcsk8, S1p, Ski-1) Gene in Osteocytes Stimulates Soleus Muscle Regeneration and Increased Size and Contractile Force with Age. Gorski JP, Huffman NT, Vallejo J, Brotto L, Chittur SV, Breggia A, Stern A, Huang J, Mo C, Seidah NG, Bonewald L, Brotto M.J Biol Chem. 2016 Feb 26;291(9):4308-22. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M115.686626. Epub 2015 Dec 30.PMID: 26719336

Effects of growth hormone administration for 6 months on bone turnover and bone marrow fat in obese premenopausal women. Bredella MA, Gerweck AV, Barber LA, Breggia A, Rosen CJ, Torriani M, Miller KK.Bone. 2014 May;62:29-35. doi: 10.1016/j.bone.2014.01.022. Epub 2014 Feb 5.PMID: 24508386

Inhibition of Pref-1 (preadipocyte factor 1) by oestradiol in adolescent girls with anorexia nervosa is associated with improvement in lumbar bone mineral density.Faje AT, Fazeli PK, Katzman D, Miller KK, Breggia A, Rosen CJ, Mendes N, Misra M, Klibanski A.Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 2013 Sep;79(3):326-32. doi: 10.1111/cen.12144. Epub 2013 Jul 2.PMID: 23331192

Effects of GH in women with abdominal adiposity: a 6-month randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Bredella MA, Lin E, Brick DJ, Gerweck AV, Harrington LM, Torriani M, Thomas BJ, Schoenfeld DA, Breggia A, Rosen CJ, Hemphill LC, Wu Z, Rifai N, Utz AL, Miller KK.Eur J Endocrinol. 2012 Apr;166(4):601-11. doi: 10.1530/EJE-11-1068. Epub 2012 Jan 24.PMID: 22275471

Sclerostin levels and bone turnover markers in adolescents with anorexia nervosa and healthy adolescent girls. Faje AT, Fazeli PK, Katzman DK, Miller KK, Breggia A, Rosen CJ, Mendes N, Klibanski A, Misra M.Bone. 2012 Sep;51(3):474-9. doi: 10.1016/j.bone.2012.06.006. Epub 2012 Jun 15.PMID: 22728230

Fazeli PK, Bredella MA, Freedman L, Thomas BJ, Breggia A, Meenaghan E, Rosen CJ, Klibanski A.J Bone Miner Res. 2012 Sep;27(9):1864-71. doi: 10.1002/jbmr.1640.PMID: 22508185

Moderate alcohol intake lowers biochemical markers of bone turnover in postmenopausal women. Marrone JA, Maddalozzo GF, Branscum AJ, Hardin K, Cialdella-Kam L, Philbrick KA, Breggia AC, Rosen CJ, Turner RT, Iwaniec UT.Menopause. 2012 Sep;19(9):974-9. doi: 10.1097/GME.0b013e31824ac071.PMID: 22922514

The heparin-binding domain of IGFBP-2 has insulin-like growth factor binding-independent biologic activity in the growing skeleton. Kawai M, Breggia AC, DeMambro VE, Shen X, Canalis E, Bouxsein ML, Beamer WG, Clemmons DR, Rosen CJ.J Biol Chem. 2011 Apr 22;286(16):14670-80. doi: 10.1074/jbc.M110.193334. Epub 2011 Mar 3.PMID: 21372140

Preadipocyte factor-1 levels are higher in women with hypothalamic amenorrhea and are associated with bone mineral content and bone mineral density through a mechanism independent of leptin. Aronis KN, Kilim H, Chamberland JP, Breggia A, Rosen C, Mantzoros CS.J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2011 Oct;96(10):E1634-9. doi: 10.1210/jc.2011-0600. Epub 2011 Jul 27.PMID: 21795455

Growth hormone is positively associated with surrogate markers of bone turnover during puberty. Russell M, Breggia A, Mendes N, Klibanski A, Misra M.Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 2011 Oct;75(4):482-8. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2265.2011.04088.x.PMID: 21535073

Preadipocyte factor-1 is associated with marrow adiposity and bone mineral density in women with anorexia nervosa. Fazeli PK, Bredella MA, Misra M, Meenaghan E, Rosen CJ, Clemmons DR, Breggia A, Miller KK, Klibanski A.J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 2010 Jan;95(1):407-13. doi: 10.1210/jc.2009-1152. Epub 2009 Oct 22.PMID: 19850693

Determinants of bone mineral density in obese premenopausal women. Bredella MA, Torriani M, Ghomi RH, Thomas BJ, Brick DJ, Gerweck AV, Harrington LM, Breggia A, Rosen CJ, Miller KK.Bone. 2011 Apr 1;48(4):748-54. doi: 10.1016/j.bone.2010.12.011. Epub 2010 Dec 30.PMID: 21195217

Kidney Disease and Solid Organ Transplantation

Successful renal transplantation after loss of antidonor HLA antibody and rechallenge with donor-specific transfusion. Mahoney RJ, Adams RJ, Given SR, Breggia AC, White BW, Hallee TJ, Parker PA, Leeber DA.Transplantation. 1989 May;47(5):896-9. doi: 10.1097/00007890-198905000-00031.PMID: 2524124

The flow cytometric crossmatch and early renal transplant loss. Mahoney RJ, Ault KA, Given SR, Adams RJ, Breggia AC, Paris PA, Palomaki GE, Hitchcox SA, White BW, Himmelfarb J, et al.Transplantation. 1990 Mar;49(3):527-35. doi: 10.1097/00007890-199003000-00011.PMID: 2138366

Immunomagnetic bead cell isolates reduce kidney donor cold ischemia time, STAT crossmatch time and histocompatibility test cost. Breton SR, Breggia AC, Emmons RA, Szatkowski MA, Mahoney RJ.Clin Transplant. 1997 Dec;11(6):569-73.PMID: 9408686

Inhibition of HLA antibody cytotoxicity by intravenous immunoglobulin G F(ab’)2 dimers, monomers, and monovalent F(ab). Mahoney RJ, Breggia AE.Hum Immunol. 1999 Jun;60(6):492-9. doi: 10.1016/s0198-8859(99)00029-4.PMID: 10408798

JAK2/Y343/STAT5 signaling axis is required for erythropoietin-mediated protection against ischemic injury in primary renal tubular epithelial cells. Breggia AC, Wojchowski DM, Himmelfarb J.Am J Physiol Renal Physiol. 2008 Dec;295(6):F1689-95. doi: 10.1152/ajprenal.90333.2008. Epub 2008 Sep 24.PMID: 18815218

Primary mouse renal tubular epithelial cells have variable injury tolerance to ischemic and chemical mediators of oxidative stress. Breggia AC, Himmelfarb J.Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2008 Oct-Dec;1(1):33-8. doi: 10.4161/oxim.1.1.6491.PMID: 19794906

Professional Activities

  • Bioscience Association of Maine (BIOME) Board member since 2017
  • BIOME Development Committee member since 2018
  • BIOME Education Committee member since 2018
  • Maine Cancer Foundation Grant Review Committee
  • Tufts CTSI Grant Review Committee

Professional Society Membership

  • American Society of Clinical Pathologists (ASCP)
  • American Society of Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics (ASHI)
  • International Society of Environmental and Biological Repositories (ISBER)