Decades of genetically based investigation into the molecular underpinnings of embryonic development have identified highly conserved signaling systems that coordinate cell fate decision-making in metazoans. The potent ability of these systems when corrupted to transform stem cells into cancer-initiating cells has made them high-priority anti-cancer therapeutic targets.
We apply large molecular library screening in cultured cell models for several of these signaling processes, including those controlled by the Wnt, Hedgehog, and Notch molecules, to identify strategies for manipulating them in the context of cancerous cells.
