DMMC Course CANCER BIOLOGY TO CANCER MEDICINE

Durkan Lecture Theatre, Institute of Molecular Medicine, TCD, St James's Hospital

1510-1550 Wednesday 24 May  Cell signalling and cancer
0950-1020 Friday 26 May  Signal transduction pathways as targets for cancer therapeutics
Dr Aideen Long (Institute of Molecular Medicine, St James’s Hospital & TCD)

Normally cells respond to extracellular cues via cell surface receptors which, when ligated, initiate the activation of intracellular signaling pathways resulting in changes in gene expression and responses such as proliferation, differentiation or apoptosis. These pathways comprise a range of signaling molecules including kinases, phosphatases and G proteins, which interact in a specific and sequential manner. The aberrant expression or mutation of key members of these signaling pathways is associated with the carcinogenic process in many cell types. Currently, kinase inhibitors and blocking antibodies (targeting receptors) are being designed to specifically attenuate these pathways.

Resources

Reference: Mass, R.D. (2004). The HER receptor family: a rich target for therapeutic development. Int J Radiat Oncol Biol Phys. 58, 932-940 PubMed Entry

Reference: Newell, D.R. (2005). How to develop a successful cancer drug--molecules to medicines or targets to treatments? Eur J Cancer. 41, 676-682. PubMed Entry