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Molecular Cancer Studies

Overview

Research in Manchester is exploring the fundamental molecular mechanisms that are most frequently compromised during the development of cancer. Major emphasis is placed on understanding how cell signalling and cell cycle regulatory networks are subverted during the early events of carcinogenesis. In model organisms, we are investigating tumour evolution by exploring the molecular mechanisms the control how cancer cells manipulate the tissue micro-environment during cancer progression. In studying these processes, members of the Molecular Cancer Studies group are building the knowledge that is essential for developing novel therapeutic strategies.

Research group leader: Dr Dean Jackson

Principal investigators

Members

About us

The MCS grouping includes three Cancer Research UK Fellows, Stephen Taylor, Janni Petersen and Adam Hurlstone.

Recent grant award:

Paul Shore was awarded a grant from the Association for International Cancer Research, 'Filamin A links the cytoskeleton to functional regulation of the oncogenic family of Runx transcription factors'.

Recent publication:

Fission yeast Tor1 functions as part of TORC1 to control mitotic entry through the stress MAPK pathway following nutrient stress.

Hartmuth S, Petersen J.

J Cell Sci. 2009 Jun 1;122(Pt 11):1737-46. Epub 2009 May 5.

Recent publication:

Lamin B1 maintains the functional plasticity of nucleoli.

Martin C, Chen S, Maya-Mendoza A, Lovric J, Sims PF, Jackson DA.

J Cell Sci. 2009 May 15;122(Pt 10):1551-62. Epub 2009 Apr 21.

Recent publication:

MAP kinase-mediated c-fos regulation relies on a histone acetylation relay switch.

O'Donnell A, Yang SH, Sharrocks AD.

Mol Cell. 2008 Mar 28;29(6):780-5.

Recent publication:

Extracellular signal-regulated kinase mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling initiates a dynamic interplay between sumoylation and ubiquitination to regulate the activity of the transcriptional activator PEA3.

Guo B, Sharrocks AD.

Mol Cell Biol. 2009 Jun;29(11):3204-18. Epub 2009 Mar 23.

Recent publication:

Missense mutations that cause Van der Woude syndrome and popliteal pterygium syndrome affect the DNA-binding and transcriptional activation functions of IRF6.

Little HJ, Rorick NK, Su LI, Baldock C, Malhotra S, Jowitt T, Gakhar L, Subramanian R, Schutte BC, Dixon MJ, Shore P.

Hum Mol Genet. 2009 Feb 1;18(3):535-45.

Recent publication:

STAT5 contributes to antiapoptosis in melanoma.

Hassel JC, Winnemöller D, Schartl M, Wellbrock C.

Melanoma research 2008 18(6): 378-85.

Recent publication:

Oncogenic BRAF regulates melanoma proliferation through the lineage specific factor MITF.

Wellbrock C, Rana S, Paterson H, Pickersgill H, Brummelkamp T, Marais R.

PLoS ONE 2008 3(7): e2734.

Recent publication:

Dissecting the roles of Raf- and PI3K-signalling pathways in melanoma formation and progression in a zebrafish model.

Disease Models and Mechanisms (2009) In press.

Michailidou et al.

Recent publication:

Cancer cells display profound intra- and interline variation following prolonged exposure to anti-mitotic drugs.

Cancer Cell (2008) 14, 111-122.

Gascoigne, K. and Taylor, S.S.

Recent publication:

Oncogenic BRAF regulates melanoma proliferation through the lineage specific factor MITF.

PLoS ONE (2008) 3:2734.

Wellbrock C, et al.

Recent grant award:

Cathy Tournier was awarded a grant from the Association for International Cancer Research, 'Defining and exploiting the role of ERK5 in tumour development'.

 

Highlight publications

Darieva Z, Clancy A, Bulmer R, Williams E, Pic-Taylor A, Morgan BA, Sharrocks AD.

A competitive transcription factor binding mechanism determines the timing of late cell cycle-dependent gene expression.

Mol Cell. 2010; 38(1):29-40.

Hewitt L, Tighe A, Santaguida S, White AM, Jones CD, Musacchio A, Green S, Taylor SS.

Sustained Mps1 activity is required in mitosis to recruit O-Mad2 to the Mad1-C-Mad2 core complex.

J Cell Biol. 2010; 190(1):25-34.

Nicoli S, Standley C, Walker P, Hurlstone A, Fogarty KE, Lawson ND.

MicroRNA-mediated integration of haemodynamics and Vegf signalling during angiogenesis.

Nature. 2010; 464(7292):1196-200.