Grant: Project Grant

Cancer (and several other diseases) development constitutes a series of events where healthy cells suffer alterations leading to a growth advantage on normal cells and loss of function. These novel capabilities acquired during tumour formations originate from the same initial event: genetic changes affecting various cellular pathways. Our research project focus on understanding the cellular events that modulate the microRNA pathway, which contributes to cancer formation and progression in human. We are using the worm as a model system to study in the whole organism the microRNA pathway and understand how misregulation of components of this new cellular pathway can promote cellular anomalies leading to several pathologies. We will explore how the newly identified genes implicated in this cellular pathway are important for maintaining healthy cells. A better understanding of how these RNA molecules function will lead to significantly improved detection and treatment of different human diseases, such as cancer.