Fall
1998
The Culprit is Cancer
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ON OTHER FRONTS
Among
the more than 300 UCLA researchers probing the causes of cancer,
these four working on genetic alterations are especially noteworthy.
Dr.
Geraldine (Garry) Weinmaster Assistant
Professor of Biological Chemistry
Weinmaster
was the first scientist to isolate a family of genes encoding Notch
receptors and their ligands that activate Notch signaling in cells.
The Notch signaling pathways plays a key role in regulating the
cells' ability to receive cues from neighboring cells and to initiate
appropriate cellular responses. Notch signaling can prevent or delay
immature cells from developing into different, mature cell types.
Since cancer is an abnormality of cell growth, it is not surprising
that three of the four mammalian Notch genes have been linked to
different forms of the disease. Says Weinmaster of her work: "The
research in my laboratory centers around determining the molecular
mechanism by which Notch signaling controls the number of normal
cells, as well as understanding how uncontrolled Notch signaling
leads to cancer."
Dr.
Sam Gambhir Ph.D. '90, M.D. '93 Assistant
Professor of Molecular and Medical Pharmacology Director, Crump
Institute for Biological Imaging
Over
the last three years, Gambhir and colleagues have worked to develop
methods to image genes in living animals in hope of eventually using
such tools to monitor gene therapy. This year, they succeeded. In
November, the Journal of Nuclear Medicine will carry the first-ever
photographs of imaging reporter genes in living mice, the result
of Gmbhir's pioneering efforts. Employing a new scanner called micro-PET,
Gambhir was able to see reporter genes in mice that had been delivered
using an adenoviral vector. If all goes well, human studies involving
the micro-PET could begin in as early as six months. Says Gambhir
of the method's potential: "One will be able to detect whether specific
gene therapies are working or not, whether patients are getting
their cancer back. It opens up this whole new arena for looking
at events at the genetic level."
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