Cancer is a disease of abnormal cell growth and proliferation, which are dependent on extracellular nutrients and instructions. While metabolites serve as nutrients, they are foremost small molecules that are capable of directly regulating protein function thereby serving as instructional signals. We hope to provide insight into cancer biology and immunology by studying how small molecule metabolites directly regulate cellular growth, proliferation, and signal transduction.
Our question: how do cancer cells proliferate?
We study the metabolic regulation of cancer cell proliferation with a focus on the following areas:
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Understanding how metabolites regulate mitochondria function.
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Characterizing metabolites as signaling molecules in cells.
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Understanding the allosteric effects of metabolites on immune suppression.
Our approach: from bench to bedside, guided by clinical questions.
We use a combination of tissue culture, biochemistry, molecular and cell biology, and mass spectrometry assays to interrogate metabolic signaling in cells.
