Albert Einstein Cancer Center

Program Leader: Arthur Skoultchi
Co-Program Leader: John Greally

Research by members of the Cell Growth and Differentiation Control Program is focused on identifying and understanding the mechanisms of action of the cellular factors that control proliferation, differentiation and cell death, how the programs controlling these processes are coordinated and how they interact. The major scientific goals are: (1) to identify, characterize and study the mechanisms of action of gene products controlling cell proliferation, lineage commitment and cell differentiation, and cell death; (2) to understand how misregulation of these gene products and processes contribute to oncogenesis; (3) to use this knowledge to develop new approaches to cancer prevention and treatment.

A major scientific focus of the program is the control of gene expression during the cell cycle, differentiation and apoptosis and the key role played by transcription factors in regulating these processes. Many members of the program are also studying the role of epigenetic mechanisms in these processes, including changes in the patterns of histone modifications and DNA methylation in cancer cells. Dr. Greally, co-leader of the program, and Dr. Ari Melnick, a secondary member, have been instrumental in introducing the use of genome-wide analyses to the program members, who use the NimbleGen microarray platform to study gene expression and epigenetic changes in tumor cells and during normal cell differentiation. Within the program there are particular strengths in studying the properties of stem cells, both adult stem cells (Drs. Graf, Gupta, Mehler and Shafritz) and human embryonic stem cells (Drs. Bouhassira, Gupta, Mehler and Skoultchi), as well as in three organ systems: the hemopoietic system, the liver, and neuronal cells. The program has also benefited from members whose research programs utilize non-mammalian model organisms, including yeast (Drs. Maitra, Query, Singer, Warner and Willis), Drosophila (Drs. Baker and Fyodorov), and zebrafish (Dr. Evans). The research of the group’s members is also strengthened by investigators with expertise in the most advanced approaches for studying control of gene expression in eukaryotic cells (Drs. Bouhassira, Brenowitz, Fyodorov, Greally, Maitra, Query, Singer and Willis).

Members