Grant: Operating Grant

Growth factors from the transforming growth factor-ß (TGFß) induce cell death, block cell proliferation and prevent cell immortalization in most human tissues. Thus, they block the growth of the cells and their main role is to act as safeguards to prevent tumor formation. As a result, any defect in their mechanism of action lead to increased cell survival and proliferation and many human diseases are due to such a defect. Our main research goal is to understand how these growth factors exert these tumor suppressive effects at the molecular level. These TGFß effects depends on specific proteins expressed inside the cells. One of these protein is the transcription factor E2F1. In this application, we propose to study the mechanism by which TGFß regulates E2F1 expression and to investigate what is the role and contribution of E2F1 in the mediation of the TGFß effects leading to cell death and prevention of cell immortalization. Overall, our research aims at understanding how to block hyper-proliferation of the cells and how to prevent cell immortalization of diseased tumoral cells. Such understanding of those mechanisms that control cell growth and immortalization will help us develop new therapies to prevent tumor cells to further grow and spread to distant tissues.