Understanding an Anti-Cancer Mechanism—In response to mutagenic activation of an oncogene, cells respond with a mechanism called oncogene-induced senescence (OIS). In addition to causing a stable arrest of proliferation, OIS triggers a complex pro-inflammatory response called the Senescence-Associated Secretory Phenotype (SASP), which can signal the immune system to clear pre-cancerous cells. Dr. Matthew Gamble has discovered that a molecule called macroH2A1 is a critical component of a positive feedback loop that regulates the SASP response. He also identified a new pathway that acts to limit stress on the endoplasmic reticulum (a cellular organelle) that can hamper macroH2A1’s activity and thus may enhance cancer development. A better understanding of how the SASP process is regulated may lead to new treatments for preventing cancer. The findings were published in August in Molecular Cell. Dr. Gamble is associate professor of molecular pharmacology and cell biology.
Posted on: Tuesday, September 22, 2015