The Molecular Biology of Cancer

Stella Pelengaris PhD is a Senior Research Fellow in Molecular Medicine in the Department of Biological Sciences at the University of Warwick and Warwick Medical School. While working as a PDRA at the Imperial Cancer Research Fund, she established a series of unique model systems for studying the role of c-Myc and apoptosis in cancer initiation and reversal. Since 1999 she and Mike Khan have jointly run the cancer biology research group at the University of Warwick where, in collaboration with Gerard Evan, they have confirmed the inherent tumor-suppressor activity of c-Myc (apoptosis) as a major barrier to oncogenic deregulation of c-Myc. The group is currently researching the role of c-Myc in both oncogenesis and in the apoptosis of beta cells in diabetes. Mike Khan PhD FRCP is a Consultant Endocrinologist and Physician at the University Hospitals of Coventry and Warwickshire and Head of Molecular Medicine at the University of Warwick and Warwick Medical School. He was elected as a Fellow of the Royal College of Physicians in 2002 and as a Member of the Association of Physicians in 2004. His main research interests have been in the regulation of tissue growth and plasticity during development and in adult tissue homeostasis. Currently, he is collaborating with mathematicians and others in a systems biology approach to define key functional gene and protein networks involved in regulating cell fate. Dr Khan and Dr Pelengaris jointly run various postgraduate training courses at masters level and beyond in cancer biology and in lipid metabolism/diabetes. They also are coauthors of the textbook Lipids and Diabetes (2002).

Preface. 1. Introduction: Stella Pelengaris & Mike Khan (both University of Warwick). 2. The Burden of Cancer: Will Steward & Anne Thomas (both University of Leicester). 3. Nature and Nurture in Oncogenesis: Stella Pelengaris & Mike Khan (both University of Warwick). 4. DNA Replication and the Cell Cycle: Stella Pelengaris & Mike Khan (both University of Warwick). 5. Regulation of Growth: Growth Factors, Receptors and Signaling Pathways: Stella Pelengaris & Mike Khan (both University of Warwick). 6. Oncogenes: Stella Pelengaris & Mike Khan (both University of Warwick). 7. Tumor Suppressor Genes: Martine Roussel (St. Jude's Children's Cancer Research Hospital). 8. Apoptosis: Stella Pelengaris & Mike Khan (both University of Warwick). 9. Telomeres and Senescence: Maria Blasco & Mike Khan (Spanish National Cancer Center, Madrid; University of Warwick). 10. Genetic Instability, Chromosomes, and Repair: Stella Pelengaris & Mike Khan (both University of Warwick). 11. Cancer is More Than a Genetic Condition: Stella Pelengaris & Mike Khan (both University of Warwick). 12. Cell-Matrix Adhesion, Cell-Cell Interactions and Malignancy: Charles Streuli (University of Manchester). 13. Tumor Immunity and Immunotherapy: Cassian Yee (Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center, University of Washington). 14. Angiogenesis: David T. Shima & Christiana Ruhrberg (Eyetech Research Center; University College of London). 15. Diagnosis of Cancer: Anne Thomas & Will Steward (both University of Leicester). 16. Treatment of Cancer: Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy: Anne Thomas (University of Leicester), R. A. Sharma (Royal Marsden Hospital, UK) and Will Steward (University of Leicester). 17. Caring For the Cancer Patient: Nicky Rudd & Esther Waterhouse (Both University Hospitals of Leicester and LOROS Hospice). 18. Genomics and Proteomics in Cancer Research and Diagnosis: Norbert C.J. de Wit (University of Warwick). Glossary. Index