Our bodies have built-in anti-cancer factories in every cell. Known as ‘tumour suppressor genes,’ they produce proteins that help prevent more than 300 varieties of cancer. Yet, like all parts of our cells, they are vulnerable.
“Damage to the DNA of these genes impairs their ability to produce tumour suppressor proteins,” explains Dr. Paola Marignani, a cancer researcher at Dalhousie Medical School. “Eventually, malignant cells are able to reproduce uncontrollably and form cancers.”
Dr. Marignani uses sophisticated equipment to expose healthy cells to 20 years of DNA damage in an instant. She studies the cells as they become cancerous to pinpoint the molecular events that are disrupted.
Accelerating Research
Dr. Marignani and her research team have found that DNA damage has a major impact on an important tumour suppressor protein called LKB1. “This protein usually stops cancers from forming, but genetic damage actually transforms it into a cancer-causing agent,” she says. “We have also found that LKBI plays a role in regulating estrogen receptors, which sheds light on its role in breast, prostate, ovarian, and cervical cancers.”
The RNA- interference (RNAi) library will accelerate Dr. Marignani’s exploration of LKB1 and help her identify clusters of genes that collectively contribute to the development of cancer. “These disease-causing genes could be ideal targets for the development of anti-cancer drugs,” explains Dr. Marignani.
This year the Molly Appeal will raise funds to purchase Atlantic Canada’s first RNA-interference (RNAi) Library. This facility will give researchers 70,000 genetic tools they can use to determine the function of every gene in a cell.