Molecular Pathogenesis of Oral Tumor (Collaborative Department)Oral Cancer Therapeutics
Small GTPases function as molecular switches in cell proliferation, cell movement and intracellular traffic. We are investigating roles of small GTPases in oral cancer proliferation, invasion and metastasis. Bisphosphonates are used for the therapy of osteoporosis by inhibiting lipid modification of small GTPases in osteoclasts. We are also investigating about the posttranslational lipid modification.
We have discovered an inhibitory regulator of small GTPase Ral, RalGAP. In its KO mice, chemically induced bladder cancer were large and with high malignancy, compared to wild type (WT). Then, human bladder cancer with weak expression of RalGAP exhibited poorer prognosis compared to that with stronger expression. Thus, RalGAP could inhibit bladder cancer progression.
Staff
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Prof. Hisanori Horiuchi,
Topics of Research
- Regulatory Mechanism of Oral Tumor Proliferation, Invasion and Metastasis by Small GTPases
- Research on Lipid Modification of small GTPases
- Sensing Mechanism of Intracellular Nutrients
- Basic and Clinical Research on Thrombus Formation