Stem Cell and Cancer Biology Program

STEM CELL AND CANCER BIOLOGY PROGRAM - PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT The overarching goal of the Stem Cell and Cancer Biology (SCCB) Program is to provide fundamental insights into the basic cell and molecular mechanisms facilitating cancer evolution, progression and therapy resistance which enable the identification of novel anti-cancer strategies. To achieve this mission, the Program has three specific aims, which are to: (1) discover mechanisms underlying the evolution of malignant cancer (stem) cells; (2) delineate drivers of cancer progression and therapy resistance; and (3) characterize the principal mechanisms establishing and governing cellular differentiation and identity. The strategy for successfully carrying out this mission requires the involvement of basic, preclinical, and clinical/interdisciplinary research. The SCCB Program critically relies on a diverse and broad spectrum of scientific expertise encompassing highly focused molecular and cell physiological mechanisms, and is substantiated through various model organisms and platforms. It also relies upon collaborations with other MECCC research programs, including the Cancer Therapeutics Program for translating new discoveries by SCCB members and bringing them into the clinic. Centralized MECCC support, particularly Shared Resources, such as (but not limited to) the Animal Model Shared Resource, Biostatistics Shared Resource, Genomics Shared Resource, Analytical Imaging Facility, Flow Cytometry Shared Resource, and Cancer Biorepository Shared Resource, greatly facilitates, streamlines, and enhances SCCB research.