Cancer Cell Biology and Oncogenomics - John A. Copland

Genomic Profiling of Human Carcinomas to Identify Aberrant Signaling Pathways and Novel Molecular Targets for Therapy

Heat map showing either loss or gain of mRNA expression in tumor (T) versus normal (N) patient tissues. Red is gain, green is loss and black is neutral.

Using patient-derived normal and tumor tissues, the laboratory of John A. Copland, Ph.D., performs whole genome-wide expression analysis to identify genes aberrantly regulated in human cancers. These aberrantly expressed genes can then be validated by quantitative PCR and immunohistochemistry.

Using human cell lines, identified genes are either silenced or re-expressed, establishing transgenic cell lines to determine the role of the gene in tumor survival, proliferation, invasion and metastasis.

Identification of aberrant signaling pathways will allow for an understanding of the molecular pathways governing each cancer subtype. Utilizing this information provides a rational approach in designing combinatorial molecular-targeted therapies with the potential for personalized diagnosis and treatment.