Research at
Gallaudet University
2005 - 2006

Investigation of the Molecular Mechanisms of Tumor Promotion

Status: Ongoing Begin date: October 1, 2001 End date: No set date

Description

This is an ongoing collaboration with a laboratory at the National Cancer Institute. Primarily, this study focuses on the pharmacology of phorbol esters, a class of tumor promoters and suppressors, and on the molecular biology of the receptors that are activated by phorbol esters. In the cell, these receptors are naturally activated by diacylglycerol and include the protein kinase C (PKC) and RasGRPs, which are central players in various cellular processes including carcinogenesis. A better understanding of the underlying mechanisms is vital to our goal of expanding the use of phorbol esters as pharmaceuticals. Drugs targeting PKC have already been exploited as therapeutic agents; these include bryostatin for chronic myeloid leukemia, LY333531 for diabetic retinopathy and 12-deoxyphorbol-13-phenylacetate and prostratin for HIV.

Investigators