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Title
Prof Department Institute of Neurology Position Professor on Molecular Cell Biology Research Area Molecular, Cellular Research Title Cell senescence, ageing and cancer |
Email
p.jat@prion.ucl.ac.uk Telephone 020 7837 3973 Internal Telephone 020 7837 3611 ext 4441 Fax 020 7676 2180 Address Department of Neurodegenerative Disease, UCL Institute of Neurology, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG |
Web Link
http://www.ion.ucl.ac.uk/
Research Interests
Cellular mechanisms underlying cancer and ageing
Research Description
Normal somatic cells undergo a finite number of divisions and then cease dividing whereas cancer cells are able to proliferate indefinitely. This irreversible program of cell cycle arrest is triggered in response to a variety of intrinsic and extrinsic stimuli including alteration in telomere length and structure, DNA damage, physiological stresses and activation of certain oncogenes. It can lead to removal of defective and potentially cancerous cells from the proliferating pool thereby preventing neoplastic transformation and tumour development. It can also compromise tissue repair and regeneration and contribute to organismal ageing. The acquisition of an infinite proliferative potential is one of the six key events that are required for neoplastic transformation and one of the least understood since the underlying mechanism that controls cellular senescence and the signal transduction pathways involved are poorly understood.
My research is aimed at identifying the underlying molecular basis for the finite proliferative life span and then if and how the key components are abrogated in cancer cells. We also aim to determine if these key components are conserved across species and in different cell types. Such components should represent novel, important and direct targets for both cancer and anti-ageing therapies.
Collaborators (Internal)
Prof John Collinge, Dr Sarah Tabrizi,
Dr Peter Kloehn,
Dr Stephanie Schorge, Prof John Hardy,
Prof Michael O'hare, Prof Ivan Gout
Collaborators (External)
Prof Munro Neville, Prof Andrew Simpson, Prof Charles Coombes, Prof Sunil Lakhani, Dr Jacques van Snick, Dr Otavia Caballero, Dr Ole Gjoerup
Keywords
Cancer cell cycle, Gene expression, Genomics, mRNA, Neurodegeneration, Proliferation
Conditions
Brain tumours in adults, Neurodegenerative diseases
Methods
Cell culture, Gene expression profiling - tissue level, Genetic manipulation (including knockout/knockin) , Genetically encoded reporters/indicators, Genetic screens, Genomic analyses, Microarrays, miRNA analysis, Recombinant protein expression, Viral vectors