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Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology | |
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MOLECULAR BIOLOGY AND PHARMACOLOGY OF CANCERTranslational research seeks to quickly "translate" discoveries made at the laboratory bench into new modes of treatment for human disease, and characterizes the approach Department faculty are taking in the area of cancer biology and pharmacology. Many drugs used in treatment of disease are derived from plants, and one major effort involves harvesting potentially useful compounds from exotic locales such as tropical coral reefs and rain forests, and then subjecting these molecules to extensive screening to detect whether they can fight tumors or destroy the HIV virus. Studies are then undertaken to characterize their mechanism of action and identify their molecular targets within the cell. Drugs act through specific receptors in the cell and activate host of signal transduction pathways that ultimately trigger the biological response to the drug, whether beneficial or harmful. Understanding these pathways is thus central to the fields of pharmacology and toxicology. Department faculty are investigating signal transduction systems that may play a role in the development of breast cancer. Faculty are also using sophisticated DNA microarray techniques to study the regulation of specific genes that are involved in the development and progression of cancers, which may help to identify novel therapeutic targets. Compounds identified as promising from these investigations are then studied in the Preclinical Drug Evaluation Facility, a unit within the Department that provides information on drug mechanisms and potential toxicity, which is critical in drug development. Faculty Involved in Molecular Biology and Pharmacology of Cancer (click on each name to learn more about specific research interests):Graduate Students working in Molecular Biology and Pharmacology of Cancer:
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