Professor Owen Sansom CRUK Beatson Institute, Glasgow
Tuesday 6th December, 1.00 p.m., Stacey Lecture Theatre 1
Cancer cells often have increased rates of protein synthesis when compared to normal cells. Thus targeting the translational machinery may be an excellent way to target cancer cells. In my talk I will detail my groups work investigating key regulators of translation in intestinal and pancreatic carcinogenesis.
Colorectal cancer is driven by mutation in the APC (Adenomatous Polyposis Coli) gene and further mutations then occur in oncogenes such as KRAS and tumour suppressors such as P53. Many of these oncogenic events directly affect translation. I will discuss how translation elongation is initially important following APC loss and how KRAS mutation drives initiation and rewires the sensitivity of APC deficient cells. Mechanistically this is via a p38-MNK-EIF4E pathway and raise the opportunity of joint MNK/MTOR inhibition in CRC.
If time I will then discuss how translation control integrates with protein stress e.g. ER stress, autophagy and metabolism.