Unraveling an old mystery using new technology

Scientists have known since the 1920s that one distinguishing characteristic of cancer cells is their altered glucose metabolism: compared to normal cells, cancer cells have a “sweet tooth” and use much more glucose from the environment.  This discovery has yet to be exploited for therapeutic benefit.

Dr. Christofk’s goal is to investigate mechanisms by which oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes establish this altered metabolism in cancer cells.  She aims to study conserved modification sites on metabolic proteins and their role in pathway flux regulation and tumor growth.  Her research may identify novel strategies for cancer drug design.

 

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Project Title: "Regulation of cancer metabolism"

Institution: University of California, Los Angeles

Sponsor(s) / Mentor(s): n/a

Cancer Type: All cancers

Research Area: Cancer Genetics