Cancer Epigenetics and Nuclear Dynamics

ABSTRACT – CANCER EPIGENETICS AND NUCLEAR DYNAMICS The Cancer Epigenetics and Nuclear Dynamics (CEND) program aims to understand how epigenetic changes and altered nuclear dynamics occurring in cancer cells contribute to cancer initiation and progression. The intent is to ultimately translate basic discoveries in cancer epigenetics and gene regulation toward the development of novel cancer therapeutic and diagnostic applications. The CEND program brings together faculty with a broad range of expertise who use a variety of model systems, ranging from yeast, Drosophila and C. elegans to mouse models and primary human malignant cells. The specific aims of CEND are to: 1. Elucidate changes in genome organization that occur during tumorigenesis and their functional impact on tumor progression. 2. Determine how changes in epigenetic regulation during tumorigenesis promote cancer progression. 3. Understand and exploit mechanisms that control cancer-driven changes in gene expression. The Program is co-led by Ali Shilatifard, Ph.D., Chairman and Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics at Northwestern, Feng Yue, PhD., Professor of Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics and Sadie Wignall, Ph.D., Professor of Molecular Biosciences. These leaders have complementary expertise and work synergistically to advance the program. The CEND program comprises 38 faculty from eleven departments and two schools. Current cancer-relevant peer-reviewed direct funding is $15,034,535, representing an 84% increase from the last competing renewal submission. There have been 508 cancer-relevant publications since the last competing CCSG review, 52% of which were high impact publications (impact factor of >10). CEND members are highly collaborative, with 20% of publications arising from intra-programmatic collaborations, 39% from inter-programmatic collaborations, and 68% from external collaborative publications. A priority for CEND is to promote interactions between program members and clinical/translational researchers in order to harness basic discoveries towards developing new therapeutic and diagnostic applications. CEND thus adds significant value to the cancer center by providing a conceptually renewed and focused framework for promoting clinical translation of basic discoveries.