Oxidative stress-driven Signaling Pathways in Cancer and Aging

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) profoundly affect numerous cellular functions in mammalian cells and inefficient cellular detoxification has been implicated in aging of cells and organisms as well as the onset or progression of several human diseases including cancer. ROS exert their specific functions by activating cellular signaling cascades which then control cellular responses such as cell detoxification, DNA repair, or cell survival. Our current focus is to more rigorously identify the role of these signaling pathways in cancer and aging. Our laboratory is specifically interested in the role of the serine/threonine kinase Protein Kinase D (PKD) in these processes. The activation of PKD-driven signaling pathways by RhoA and oxidative stress suggests a role for PKD in both, the regulation of tumor progression, but also longevity and age-related diseases. Ongoing projects in the laboratory are i) to investigate the regulation of tumor cell motility by RhoA- and ROS-activated signaling pathways, ii) to determine the role of PKD and other stress-regulated signaling molecules in lung and breast cancer progression, and iii) to investigate the function of mitochondrial oxidative stress-activated PKD in regulating aging and longevity.