|
Lab: |
|
|
|
The mechanism of anoikis and the
development of novel cancer therapeutics
based on this mechanism is a major focus
of the laboratory. |
|
|
|
Lab Personnel: |
|
|
|
 Ben
Cieply
(Graduate Student)
I am interested in the
molecular mechanisms involved in anoikis, EMT, cancer
cell invasion and metastasis. My plan for my career
involves doing a post doc and staying in academic
research. My career goal is to experimentally uncover
information that will contribute to the understanding of
biochemistry, cell biology and cancer.
|
|
|
 Ryan
Ice
(Graduate Student) |
|
|
 Sanjeev
Kumar
(Graduate Student)
I am interested in understanding the regulatory
mechanisms in signaling and apoptosis. The present
project involves the characterization of ankyrin
complexes in anoikis (apoptosis suppressed by
cell-extracellular matrix interaction). The cortical
cytoskeleton protein ankyrin-G is an adaptor protein
known to link actin cytoskeleton (through spectrin
interaction) to membrane (such as E-cadherin). Because
of its sub-membrane localization and presence of
pro-apoptotic domains, we hypothesized the role of
ankyrin in anoikis. We are characterizing the role of
pro-apoptotic ankyrin domains such as ZU5 and Death
domain. The preliminary data suggests that ankyrin
interacts with various novel pro- and anti-apoptotic
proteins and regulates apoptosis, cellular signaling and
novel nucleo-cytoplasmic transport for transcriptional
regulation. My long term goal is to use knowledge
generated in labs for therapeutics. |
|
|
 Jane
Schupp
(Graduate Student)
I came to West Virginia
University in the fall of 2007 from Case Western Reserve
University to work in Dr. Steve Frisch’s laboratory. My
degrees are in microbiology and pathology from Ohio
State University, and most of the research I’ve
participated in since graduation has been in the field
of cancer biology. The focus of previous work was
investigating the role of DNA repair defects in colon
cancer, and how to take advantage of these defects in
order to make therapy more effective in overcoming drug
resistance.
The projects I’m currently
working on focus upon determining how NRAGE contributes
to anoikis resistance, invasion and metastasis |
|
|
 Sun
Park
(Graduate Student) Student) |
Dr. Frisch
