Research Focus

The genesis and progression of cancer involves a series of genetic and epigenetic cellular alterations leading to aberrant mitogenic and survival signaling, as well as the acquisition of invasive traits that promote metastasis to distant sites. Lipid second messengers such as diacylglycerol (DAG, generated by phospholipase C) and phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-triphosphate (PIP3, generated by PI3K) are produced upon stimulation of membrane receptors (e.g. tyrosine-kinase receptors and GPCRs), and activate central signal transduction pathways linked to cell proliferation, survival and motility.