Our Research
Every cell in our body is daily exposed to numerous types of stresses. Some are formed during normal processes such as replication or during the generation of energy by metabolic processes. Others are generated when cells are exposed to environmental agents or drugs which may damage the DNA or other cellular components. The exposure to stress evokes cellular responses that enable survival or direct cells to death. Dysregulation of these responses often leads to cancer.
We study key factors that determine cell fate upon exposure of cancer cells to stress such as the tumor suppressor p53, the transcription factor AP-1, the E3-ubiquitin ligase Fbxw7 and several stress-responsive long non coding RNAs (lncRNAs). We explore novel pathways and mechanisms that control their expression and activity under specific sets of environmental stresses. We aim at implementation of the acquired knowledge for manipulation of the upstream regulators in order to direct cancer cells to desired outcomes upon drug treatments.
