Target Discovery and Apoptosis Team
Team Leader: Dr Spiros Linardopoulos
Location: Haddow Laboratories, Sutton
Section: Cancer Research UK Cancer Therapeutics Unit
Image of cells undergoing mitosis
Chromosomal abnormalities are a hallmark of human cancer, reflecting the deleterious consequences of the gain or loss of genetic information. The fidelity of chromosome segregation is monitored by mitotic checkpoints that delay entry into mitosis. During this complex process, protein kinases play important roles in promoting or retarding transitions between different stages and checkpoints of the cell cycle. We aim to further understand the role of specific mitotic proteins and use this information to identify and validate mitotic regulators as targets for cancer therapy. The research of the Cell Cycle and Apoptosis laboratory has focused on the role of Aurora-A kinase in carcinogenesis and on the development of inhibitors as therapeutic drugs. Aurora-A kinase has been found to be amplified in more than 50% of primary colorectal cancers and up to 20% of primary breast tumours, as well as in ovarian, colon, prostate, and cervical cell lines. The over-expression of this kinase and the association with genetic instability in tumours has made this gene an attractive target for anticancer drug discovery.
Aims
We aim to further our understanding of the mammalian cell division and use this knowledge to identify and validate those genes involved in the development of neoplastic lesions as targets for cancer therapy.
In the Cancer Research UK Cancer Therapeutics Unit
