Cell Biology

Aragrose Gel

Fluorescent-labeled antibodies indicate cellular constituents in the colon.

Cells are the fundamental operating units of the body. Each cell consists of a membrane that surrounds an array of internal organelles, including the nucleus, which contains the cell’s DNA, and a structural element, the ‘cytoskeleton’, which determines the size, shape, and motility of the cell. Different cell types have different shapes and sizes, and are carefully organized into tissues in which they carry out diverse, specialized functions. LICR's Cell Biology Programs examine how the functions and organization of cells are corrupted by cancer. In particular, the Programs focus on changes in cell membrane structure and function, the loss of cell cycle control, the duplication and division of DNA during mitosis, and the ability of cancer cells to escape from their tissues of origin to populate other, unaffected tissues. Such investigations may reveal new ways to treat cancer, as well as improve the efficacy of existing chemotherapies.

Programs

Patient Oriented Research

LICR scientists are using their knowledge of cell biology, and the biological and chemical reagents that they have developed, to find ways to inhibit the growth and spread of cancer through the body, and improve current chemotherapeutic regimes.

Angiogenesis and Lymphangiogenesis

Angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis are the normal processes through which blood and lymphatic vessels, respectively, are formed. Cancer cells actively stimulate these processes in order to supply the oxygen and nutrients necessary for tumor growth. These vessels then also provide a route through which cancer cells can spread through the body (metastasize). LICR scientists were the first to discover many of the factors that stimulate these processes, and are now developing therapeutics to inhibit angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis, and thus prevent tumor growth and cancer spread.

Pro-lymphangiogenic Factors

Whilst investigating the ability of certain molecules to inhibit the processes of angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis, LICR investigators identified other molecules that actually stimulated the growth of lymphatic vessels. Recognizing the potential for pro-lymphangiogenic factors for uses other than cancer, LICR is now investigating whether these factors can treat people with a disfiguring medical condition known as lymphedema – a persistent swelling of tissues that results from the absence or blockage of lymphatic vessels.

Pro-angiogenic Factors

Molecules that stimulate angiogenesis are also potential therapies for both myocardial ischemia and peripheral vascular disease, as it is possible that local delivery of angiogenic growth factors, or genes encoding these growth factors, may improve muscle perfusion.