Age-associated diseases
Cancer
In several collaborative projects we characterize mechanisms in general cancer development and mechanisms leading to specific tumour types:
- Cancer signaling and the cytoskeleton (Görlach, Herrlich, Morrison, Ploubidou)
role of the actin cytoskeleton in Ras activation; inhibition of Ras activation by the tumor suppressor protein NF2 (merlin); plasma membrane functions of E1a during viral oncogenesis; differential functions of HPV-E6 and E7 on the cytoskeleton; structural analyses of E6 & E7 and their interactions with cellular proteins; centrosome ablation by vaccinia virus proteins
- Genomic copy number variations (Platzer)
characterization of interindividual copy-number variations influencing the predisposition to chromosomal rearrangements and the susceptibility to cancer
- Posttranslational modification (Than)
activation of proproteins central to tumor progression and metastasis (proteases, growth and differentiation factors) by the serine protease family proprotein/prohormone convertases (PCs)
- Translational regulation (Calkhoven)
role of mTOR-controlled translation of the transcription factors C/EBP a and b in disease and ageing; identification of RNA-elements, signalling molecules and pathways controlling translation by using a novel translation-control-reporter-system; translation efficiency in colon cancer
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Wilms tumour suppressor gene (WT1) (Englert)
role of WT1 in kidney and gonad organogenesis, tumorigenesis and age-related glomerulopathy in transgenic and knock-out models of mouse and zebrafish
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Last update: March 20, 2008
