Albert Einstein Cancer Center

Selected Achievements

·         A role for EGF and Notch signaling, Rb and the CDK inhibitor Dacapo was identified in the regulation of cell number in the Drosophila retina showing that differentiation can be uncoupled form cell cycle exit - Baker (Dev. Cell 8: 541, 2005; Dev. Cell 7:632, 2004;  Dev. Cell 4:359, 2003)

·         Relapse of disease in APL patients after treatment with all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) is associated with the rapid emergence of APL subclones with mutations in PML-RARa - Gallagher (Leukemia 20:556, 2006; Blood 101:2521, 2003)

·         B and T cells can be reprogrammed in vivo into macrophages by ectopic expression of C/EBPa providing evidence for the extensive plasticity in the hematopoietic system - Graf (Cell 117:663, 2004)

·         INI1/SNF5, a tumor suppressor gene mutated in rhabdoid tumors, represses cyclin D1 transcription, establishing that Cyclin D1 is required for rhabdoid tumor formation in mice; inhibition of cyclin D1 suppresses rhabdoid tumor cell growth  - Kalpana (Oncogene 25:722, 2006;  PNAS 102:12129, 2005;  Mol. Cell. Biol. 22:5975, 2002)

·         ARC functions as a central regulator of apoptosis by inhibiting both the extrinsic and intrinsic cell death pathways and may be involved in the pathogenesis of breast cancer - Kitsis (Molecular Cell 15:901, 2004;  Cell Death and Differentiation 12:682, 2005)

·         A lung cancer mouse model was developed by inactivation of the Nkx2.8 gene encoding a homeobox protein - Locker (Mol. Cell Biol. 22:6122, 2002;  Cancer Research, in press).

·         The spliceosome and the mechanism of RNA splicing have important similarities with the ribosome and the mechanism of translation - Query (Mol. Cell 21:543, 2006;  Mol. Cell 14:343, 2004)

·          mRNA metabolism from transcription to degradation has been visualized in the nucleus of single living cells by powerful techniques  - Singer (Nature Methods 2:663, 2005;  Nature 438:512, 2005;  Cell 116:683, 2004;  Science 304:1797, 2004;  Cancer Res 64:8585, 2004)

·         H1 linker histones are involved in regulating DNA methylation of imprinted genes and in signaling apoptosis in response to DNA damaging agents – Skoultchi (Cell 123:1199, 2005; Cell 114:673, 2003)

·         A new Rb-dependent pathway of cell cycle arrest was identified: Rb binds Skp2, preventing Skp2 interaction with p27, and p27 polyubiquitination and degradation. A peptide inhibitor of Skp2 protein was developed that induces apoptosis in tumor cells - Zhu (J. Biol. Chem. 281: 24058, 2006;  Molecular Cell 16:47, 2004)

• Dr. Nicholas Baker’s laboratory
• Dr. Liang Zhu’s laboratory
• Dr. Skoultchi's Laboratory
• Dr. David Shafritz's and Dr. Sanjeev Gupta's Laboratories
• Dr. Gupta's Laboratory
• Dr. Mark Mehler's and Dr. Jean Hebert's Laboratories
• Dr. Hebert's Laboratory
• Dr. Richard Kitsis's Laboratory
• Dr. Jack Lenz’ laboratory
• Dr. V. Prasad’s Laboratory
• Dr. Skoultchi’s Laboratory
• Dr. Gallagher's Laboratory
• Dr. Evans' Laboratory
• Dr. Joseph Locker's Laboratory
• Dr. Nicole Schreiber-Agus's Laboratory
• Drs. Jonathan Warner's and Ian Willis's Laboratories
• Dr. Warner's Laboratory
• Dr. Michael Brenowitz's Laboratory
• Dr. Robert Singer's Laboratory
• Dr. Charles Query's Laboratory
• Dr. Umadas Maitra's Laboratory
• Dr. Ganjam Kalpana's Laboratory
• Dr. Greally’s laboratory
• Dr. Bouhassira’s laboratory
• Dr. Skoultchi’s laboratory