Grant: Doctoral Award - Frederick Banting and Charles Best Canada Graduate Scholarships

There are many mechanisms known to contribute to cancer formation, one of which is related to a group of proteins called tyrosine kinases. In normal cells, tyrosine kinases are known to play key roles in regulating many important cellular functions. In some cancer cells, tyrosine kinases are over-active, thereby altering a wide range of cellular processes and often leading to uncontrolled cell growth and tumor formation. Our research group has been studying a cancer-forming tyrosine kinase called NPM-ALK for the past 9 years. Recently, we discovered for the first time that NPM-ALK can induce a cellular abnormality called genetic instability by interfering with a critical cellular function known as DNA mismatch repair. DNA mismatch repair normally functions to safeguard the integrity of our genes and protect them from potentially harmful mutations. Genetic instability is often a key feature seen in many types of cancer. The main purpose of this study is to investigate this novel cancer promoting mechanism and to further our understanding of how tyrosine kinases, when aberrantly over-active, can alter the capacity for the cell to undergo successful DNA mismatch repair. In the future, we aim to develop new therapeutic approaches based on the new information derived from this study.