Growth Charting — The National Cancer Institute has awarded $1.7 million over five years to Dr. Steven Libutti and colleagues to support their investigation of tissue-specific cancer development. Dysfunctional tumor suppressor genes are known to cause cancer in some tissues but not others. Dr. Libutti’s team will intentionally disrupt the tumor suppressor gene Men1 in several tissue types and observe whether or not tumors result. By comparing the components of cells that develop tumors with the components of cells that don’t, they may discover unknown contributors to tumor growth, which may help identify potential targets for future intervention. Dr Libutti is associate director for clinical services at the Albert Einstein Cancer Center, vice chair of the department of surgery, and professor in the departments of surgery and genetics.
Posted on: Wednesday, October 03, 2012