Grant: Project Grant

Cancers of the colon and rectum (termed colorectal cancers) are frequent in the North American population, and are the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths in Canada. The molecular defects leading to these cancers are complex, involving numerous genetic pathways. Work from our group, and other studies, suggests that pathways regulated by members of the Cdx family of transcription factors are important modifiers of the frequency and severity of intestinal cancers. While it is now recognized that Cdx function impacts on colorectal cancers, we do not presently have an understanding of how the Cdx proteins regulate such events. We will use novel mouse models in which Cdx proteins have been made nonfunctional by genetic engineering. Using this approach, we hope to determine how these proteins impact on cancers of the intestinal tract. The information forthcoming from these studies should reveal key processes involved in the development of these important cancers, and may lead to novel therapeutic targets or prognostic markers for these important malignancies.