Control of tumour growth by oncogene-induced senescence

Summary

Discovering how senescence controls tumour initiation, growth and progression.
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Supervisor(s)

Dr Matthew Grimshaw, Professor Jennifer Gamble

Research Location

Camperdown - Centenary Institute

Program Type

Masters/PHD

Synopsis

Cellular senescence' is the irreversible loss of a cell's ability to divide and is an important mechanism of tumour suppression that is activated in benign lesions yet circumvented in the malignant tumour. It is induced by a variety of intracellular stresses including activated oncogenes, DNA damage, oxidative stress and telomere dysfunction. As was noted in Cell recently, "Although recent work has begun to identify the molecules that enforce senescence in response to different signals, we still have only a rudimentary understanding of the components that comprise and execute the senescence program."
During studies of the vasculature by the Vascular Biology group at The Centenary Institute, SENEX was identified as a potent inducer of senescence and we believe this gene is a major player in the oncogenic senescence pathway. We are studying how SENEX regulates senescence of the tumour cells as well as the tumour vasculature. Of particular interest is what signalling pathways SENEX uses to tell the cell to senesce, and what factors - found within the cell or the tumour - control SENEX expression. This is a relatively new area, both for the Centenary Institute and the cancer research community in general, and is progressing at an exciting pace.
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Additional Information

Potential research areas for PhDs topics
Senescence is a very active area presently, and the opportunities are evolving very rapidly. Some potential projects are listed below.

• Regulation of senescence by inflammatory cells and cytokines.
• The effects of senescence on tumour angiogenesis.
• The role of the DNA damage response in oncogene-induced senescence.
• Tumour hypoxia and senescence.
• Breast tumour and senescence - an unexpected role in metastasis?

Current PhD/Hons topics

• SENEX and senescence in breast cancer

Is the opportunity also available for Honours students?
We have many projects that would suit an Honours student.

Techniques and research approaches.
These projects use molecular biology and cell biology to investigate senescence. Techniques include: real-time and in vivo imaging, confocal microscopy, RNAi, qrtPCR, immunohistochemistry, flow cytometry, tissue culture, invasion assays, angiogenesis assays, and apoptosis ELISAs. We have access to a large cohort of patient samples so that we can investigate senescence in patients. We also are generating transgenic models that will prove invaluable in the future.

Scholarships/funding available
Most students in the laboratory are supported by an Australian Post-graduate Award or other scholarship. Please contact me directly for further details.

Keywords

tumour, metastasis, Oncogene, DNA damage, angiogenesis, microenvironment, hypoxia, chemokine, lung cancer, Prostate Cancer, pancreatic cancer, senescence

Opportunity ID

The opportunity ID for this research opportunity is: 832

Other opportunities with Professor Jennifer Gamble

• Regulation of the Vascular System: Role of the Endothelium
• The Role of microRNAs in Vascular Function and Disease
• The Role of Senescence in Vascular Function and Disease