Overview
Chromosomal abnormalities are a hallmark of human cancer, reflecting the deleterious consequences of the gain or loss of genetic information. These abnormalities may be a consequence of tumour progression, mis-segregated chromosomes and aneuploidy. The fidelity of chromosome segregation is monitored by mitotic checkpoints that delay entry into mitosis until a functional centrosome is present. 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 mitotic control and use this information to identify and validate mitotic regulators as targets for cancer therapy.
Our focus
The research of the Cancer Drug Target Discovery laboratory has focused on the Aurora-A kinase, in particular, its role 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, 60% of which carried BRCA2 mutations, as well as in breast, 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.
