Grant: Operating Grant

Cancer cell division is abnormal. Cancer cells often acquire extra centrosomes which normally control proper segregation of genetic material into daughter cells during cell division. The extra centrosomes make cancer cells vulnerable to cell death, but many types of cancer cells acquire ways to cluster the centrosomes to form bipolar spindles and undergo cell division. Recently we have identified a protein called ILK as a component of centrosomes. Our preliminary work shows that this protein is critical for proper cell division and that in cancer cells this protein facilitates the clustering of multiple centrosomes . Here we propose to dissect exactly how ILK works to perform its functions in the centrosomes, and whether inhibiting its function, or the function of other associated proteins in cancer cells will induce centrosome declustering and specific cell death. We also propose to develop assays for the discovery of novel compounds capable of inhibiting cancer cell division by targeting centrosome clustering. This work will provide fundamental new knowledge to the field of cell division mechanisms, but importantly may identify specific ways of blocking cell division and inducing cell death in cancer cells and identify novel cancer therapeutic agents.