Cell Signaling

Cancers can arise from alterations to the complex signaling pathways controlling cell division, cell death, and cell motility. Understanding how specific pathways are disrupted in brain tumors may lead to the development of targeted therapies.

Some active areas of cell signaling research at UCSF include the following:

Identification of signaling pathways involved in tumorigenesis
Study of cell-cell interactions during tumor progression
Evaluation of new therapeutic targets and mechanistic rationale for combined treatment and targeted therapy strategies
Characterization of signaling pathways that contribute to drug-resistance in gliomas treated with chemotherapy
Investigation of mechanisms underlying glioblastoma sensitivity and resistance to anti-angiogenic therapies
Study of interactions between glioma cells and neurons, and the impact on functional cognitive networks

The Labs