DNA replication may grow out of control. This may help us to develop better diagnostic and prognostic tests. The human body is composed of millions of cells. Each cell needs to make decisions about whether or not to divide.
Cancer is a condition in which cells grow and divide inappropriately.
My laboratory is studying some of the controls that cells use as they turn on and turn off cell growth. We have found that two different human enzymes act as a switch for DNA replication. We are actively investigating the role that these enzymes play in normal cell growth and in the cell's response to DNA damage. Over the next few years, our goal is to determine the role these DNA replication-control enzymes play in normal cell growth. Specifically, we would like to know whether kinase family members can prevent DNA replication, and whether specific family member s are involved in the response to DNA damage.