The signals that cells use as decision points to grow involve events initiated at the cell surface using growth factors and their receptors as well as secondary proteins that link the signal to intracellular targets. Changes in chromatin structure , the activation state of transcriptional regulators , the stability of mRNA and protein-protein interactions result in altered gene expression and a novel molecular signature. This Program's faculty execute mechanistic analyses of genes playing a role in familial or sporadic tumors. The ability to study these genetic changes in yeast and mouse models provides a functional approach to understanding the significance of variations in cancer causing genes.
Work is also underway to translate new findings into clinical practice .