Chief Investigator: Dr Derek Kennedy

Our research focuses on the molecular biology and cellular events that occur during cancer progression and metastasis. Although the group has an interest in the genetics underpinning cancer, the research is focused on the functional biology of mutations or changes in gene expression that occur within tumour cells. We are particularly interested in determining the events that lead to the apparent imbalance between cell proliferation and apoptosis.

Many genes are inappropriately expressed or repressed in cancer cells and, in some cases, these changes can be attributed to the chromosomal mutations and gross rearrangements that occur during cancer progression. It is important to understand these events. However, their value as cancer therapeutic targets is limited because the events are not strictly conserved between cancers derived from the same tissues. Part of our research focus is to identify genes that are required by the cancer to allow its proliferation and progression. These genes are seen as more valid therapeutic targets because they are potentially common to all cancers with a specific tissue of origin (i.e. breast cancer). As an example, over-expression of HER2 in 25 - 40% of breast cancers has been seen as a significant target because of its expression in a high percentage of cancers. However, it should be pointed out that the over-expression of HER2 is often a down-stream event of gene amplification.

One focus of the group is to characterise the functional role of a family of RNA-binding proteins that have been shown to be miss-regulated during cancer progression. G3BP2 appears to be a gene that is turned on early during breast cancer progression (Ductal Cancer In Situ) and not as a result of collateral damage caused by genetic events that occur during latter stages of breast cancer progression (Invasive Ductal Carcinoma).

Currently we are focusing on RNA-processing with an overall aim to identify molecular events within cancers that may elucidate new leads for the design of novel anti-cancer therapeutics.