Newswise — PHILADELPHIA–(Dec. 5, 2014)–The Wistar Institute was awarded a $100,000 grant from The W.W. Smith Charitable Trust for research to better understand and regulate cellular senescence–a state of stable cell growth arrest–that suppresses the development of human cancers.
The project, titled “Regulation of Cellular Senescence Through 3-D Genome Organization,” will be led by Ken-ichi Noma, Ph.D., associate professor of Wistar’s Gene Expression and Regulation Program. Since joining Wistar Institute in 2007, Noma has focused on a variety of investigative mechanisms to regulate the 3-D genome structure and its biological significance in an effort to learn more about the molecular underpinnings of human cancers related to disorganization of the cell nucleus.
“This grant will allow for a more focused look, using the latest technological advancements, into cellular senescence and complex 3-D genome structures,” said Noma. “With cancer incidences on the rise every year, we have an opportunity at our fingertips at Wistar to better understand how disruption of irreversible cell growth arrest results in some human cancers, and perhaps find a way to regulate aggressive cell development.”
Specifically, the research will focus on understanding how alterations in the 3-D genome architecture affect gene expression and drive cellular senescence. Cellular senescence is our intrinsic defense against abnormal cell proliferation associated with every type of cancer. This research has the potential to unlock radically new therapies for cancer, and such approaches are urgently needed to revolutionize cancer therapy.
The W.W. Smith Charitable Trust is a private foundation that provides funding to supplement basic medical research primarily in the areas of heart disease, cancer and AIDS.
The Wistar Institute is an international leader in biomedical research with special expertise in cancer research and vaccine development. Founded in 1892 as the first independent nonprofit biomedical research institute in the country, Wistar has long held the prestigious Cancer Center designation from the National Cancer Institute. The Institute works actively to ensure that research advances move from the laboratory to the clinic as quickly as possible. The Wistar Institute: Today’s Discoveries – Tomorrow’s Cures. On the Web at www.wistar.org.
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