Grant: Operating Grant

In response to environmental stresses such as exposure to toxic components, to radiation, and to low oxygen conditions, the cell uses a defense mechanism to fight the stress and survive. Stress can also be produced during anti-cancer treatment. Exposure to patients to prolonged chemical or radiation treatment can induce stress conditions to which cancer cell will respond by mobilizing a defense mechanism. This will allow cancer cells to resist to treatment and grow. This resistance is one of the major obstacles in treating patients suffering from cancer. Our objective is to understand how cancer cells managed to resist anti-cancer treatment We have been investigating the role of a novel cellular bodies recently identified as important players in mediating the resistance of cancer cells to stress. These cellular bodies form within the cell only under stress conditions promoting cell survival. I believe that these cellular bodies are sites where specific gene products that are essential for cell survival are protected. My research focuses on defining the molecular mechanisms by which these cellular bodies mediate cancer cell resistance to therapy. To achieve our goal, my team is using cancer cells as a model. We will investigate strategies to prevent the formation of the cellular bodies and the associated cell resistance to chemotherapy. The major issue in cancer therapy is to develop strategies that prevent cancer cell resistance and recurrence upon treatment. Our study is important to understand how cancer cell resist treatment which will allow us to better design new treatments using conventional anti-cancer drugs together with drugs that prevent the formation of these cellular bodies.