All cancers depend upon dysregulation and dysfunction of normal cell processes. These processes are often controlled by the cell nucleus, specifically by DNA sequence (the genome) and its regulation (the epigenome).
Dysregulation of nuclear processes encoded within the genome and/or epigenome drive many of the detrimental properties of cancer cells, such as defective DNA repair and mutation accumulation, altered inflammatory signaling and immune regulation, unrestrained cell growth and survival, tissue invasion, metastasis and drug resistance. Understanding these processes, including their dysregulation in aging and differences between races and ethnicities, can lead to new approaches for patient- and population-specific risk assessment, early detection and diagnoses of cancer, as well as novel therapeutic interventions.
Director’s Statement
“We bring together experts in nuclear dysfunction in cancer. Analysis of the genome and epigenome is intensive, and so too is our program. Our faculty pursue diverse research interests, and share a fundamental focus on how nuclear dysregulation drives cancer growth—all intended to lead to breakthrough discoveries and treatments for cancer.”
