Contact Information:
Project Coordinator
Petri Salven
M.D., Ph.D., Adjunct Professor, Research Director
Molecular Cancer Biology Program
Biomedicum Helsinki
PO Box 63 (Haartmaninkatu 8)
FI-00014 University of Helsinki
Finland
Tel. +358 9 191 25384
Fax. +358 9 191 25664
e-mail :
firstname.surname@helsinki.fi
Participants:
| 
|
Research
The structure of the overall Project:
In the project, we will develop lentiviral and high throughput tools for in vitro and in vivo gene targeting and genome-wide gene screening, and use them to identify and validate target genes regulating tumor-host cell interactions contributing to a microenvironment permissible for tumor growth. The target cells studied range from BM-derived stem and precursor cells to tumor stromal cells including tumor blood vessel endothelium. Finally, we will analyze tumor cells in vivo in order to identify tumor-secreted factors that lead to increased stem and stromal cell recruitment, angiogenesis, tumor growth, tumor stem cell self-renewal, and metastasis. The ultimate goal of the project is to unravel and validate new targets for anticancer therapy, and new strategies for delivering therapy to tumors.
Specific aims of the Project:
- To develop a targeted lentiviral library for inhibition of all major growth factor signaling pathways
- To identify tumor-derived factors that lead to increased angiogenesis and recruitment of stromal cells contributing to a microenvironment permissible for tumor growth.
- To identify host-derived factors that induce tumor cell growth and tumor stem cell self-renewal
- To identify endothelial/BM cell-specific cis-regulatory elements for use in lentiviral in vivo targeting vectors
- To test in vivo the effect of targeted lentiviruses in inhibition of tumor growth and metastasis
| Table I. Participants and their specific skills |
| |
_Participant |
_Principal _investigator |
_Skills and know-how |
| 1. |
a) |
University of Helsinki , Finland Molecular Cancer Biology Program
|
Petri Salven |
Stem cell transplantation and tumor angiogenesis models, RNAi, imaging |
| |
b) |
University of Helsinki , Finland Molecular Cancer Biology Program |
Kari Alitalo |
Reseptor tyrosine kinases, vascular signal transduction |
| |
c) |
University of Helsinki, Finland Genome-Scale Biology Program |
Jussi Taipale |
Regulatory element prediction, high throughput analyses, Hh & Wnt signaling pathways |
| 2. |
|
Leiden University Medical Center, The Netherlands |
Peter ten Dijke |
RNAi libraries, TGF-b superfamily signaling |
| 3. |
|
San Raffaele Telethon Institute
for Gene Therapy, Italy |
Luigi Naldini |
Lentiviral systems, in vivo tumor targeting |
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February 4, 2009
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