Mitochondrial DNA: The Cinderella of cancer genomics
No
Research
Host: Prof Nicola Ternette
Venue: MSI Small Lecture Theatre, SLS
Bio
I am a Group Leader and Professor of Mitochondrial Biology at the CRUK Scotland Institute, University of Glasgow. I trained in mitochondrial genetics, genome engineering and metabolism in the labs of Dr Michal Minczuk (MRC Mitochondrial Biology Unit, Cambridge) and Dr Christian Frezza (MRC Cancer Unit, Cambridge). I moved to Scotland and established my lab in the Summer of 2019 with generous support from CRUK, and subsequent awards from ERC, NIH/NCI and EMBO.
Our lab is interested in understanding the role of mitochondrial genetics in cancer. Roughly half of all cancers bear somatic mutations of the mitochondrial genome, but these remain understudied and their contribution to cancer biology is poorly understood. Using a combination of computational and experimental approaches we have begun to shed light on the importance of these variants in cancer initiation, progression and therapeutics.
This Seminar is fully funded by external sources
No
Yes
CSI Seminar by Prof Payam Gammage, CRUK Scotland Institute, University of Glasgow
Staff
United Kingdom
Induced Proximity Therapeutics to Rewire Oncogenic Transcription
No
Research
Host: Professor Alessio Ciulli
Venue: MSI Small Lecture Theatre, SLS
This seminar is fully funded by external sources
Abstract
A principle in the development of cancer therapies is that robust death of the malignant cell is critical. However, traditional cancer therapies often rely on inhibiting essential proteins, risking toxicity in healthy cells. I will present an alternative approach that leverages chemically induced proximity to rewire oncogenes to selectively activate apoptosis, using Transcriptional/Epigenetic Chemical Inducers of Proximity (TCIPs)1-3. These small molecules redirect chromatin regulators –including elongation factors, transcriptional kinases, and acetyltransferases – to activate cell death genes silenced by cancer drivers such as BCL6 in diffuse large B cell lymphomas. Structural and mechanistic studies reveal a sub-stoichiometric, gain-of-function mechanism that decouples efficacy from on-target toxicity. Induced proximity thus enables systematic exploitation of the malignant function of an oncogenic driver to achieve context-specific transcriptional control, offering a new direction for targeted cancer therapeutics.
No
Yes
CeTPD Seminar by Sai Gourisankar
Staff
United Kingdom