Cell Signalling Laboratory

Previous and current research
A major focus of the group is the analysis of protein interactions and cellular functions mediated through the large families of Src homology 2 and 3 domains (SH2, SH3) in human cells. We aim to get insight into the mechanistic details of the interactions and develop highly selective signal transduction blocker molecules based upon this knowledge. One pathway which we have recently discovered and are continuing to study is the signalling of the c-Met receptor through Crk family adaptor proteins to small GTPases like Rac, Rap1 etc. Another current project is the identification of components involved in erythropoietin (Epo) signalling in primary human progenitor cells generated from cord blood. Epo is crucial in fighting anaemia which is common in cancer patients and has also recently been implicated as a neuroprotective factor. The molecular details of the proliferation-activating Erk/MAPK signal transmitted upon the stimulation of the Epo receptor in primary human cells is still largely unknown.

Future projects
Novel projects initiated since the move of our reasearch group to Oxford are ultrastructural studies of key signalling proteins using X-ray crystallography and the analysis of molecular effects from new anticancer drugs/candidates on the signal transduction machinery. It is hoped that these experiments will identify suitable molecular markers to monitor cancer drug action in clinical trials and thereafter. We are also initiating studies to develop high throughput lead compound screens for small molecule blockers of protein-protein interactions.