BASIC SCIENCE OF CANCER FOCUS GROUPS

STATs IN CANCER

including Interferons

SUMMARY

The STAT family of proteins functions within the signal transduction pathway and as transcription factors in response to a wide range of environmental stimuli, including the interferon family of cytokines. Members of this focus group investigate the structure and function of various members of the STAT family during tumorigenesis and in the setting of an inflammatory stimulation of carcinogenesis. This focus group facilitates a range of collaborations among the Cancer Center Members that currently focus on the role of STAT3 and STAT5 in different types of cancer.

Signal transduction is the process through which stimuli in the external milieu of a cell are first detected by a cell surface receptor, and then interpreted within the cell, through a series of biochemical events, resulting most often in changes in gene expression. STAT proteins function within the cytoplasm and nucleus of the cell to transmit this information, and their dysregulation can contribute to cell transformation and unregulated cell growth.

Among the activities sponsored by this focus group in the past include: (1) a symposium on the STAT molecules hosted by the Cancer Center, featuring preeminent investigators in the field, (2) quarterly mini-retreats in which current basic and clinical science projects are updated and new research directions are vetted, and (3) a scientific forum in which newly established collaborations are both proposed and described.

MEMBERS

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