Tight, yet dynamic, control of translation is critical in order for the cell to respond appropriately to intracellular and extracellular cues. This translational control is achieved by modulating the rate of translation in an mRNA-specific or global manner, often by…

Telomerase, the main mechanism for telomere maintenance, is active in 85% of cancer cells. Telomerase inhibition leads to telomere erosion, chromosome damage, and cell death, thereby validating the enzyme as a prime target in the search for anticancer therapies. hTERT…

Although eIF4E plays an important role in the development and progression of cancer, the mechanism through which it acts has not been directly characterised. In order to aid in the progression of this knowledge, an in vivo eIF4E-mRNA immunoprecipitation assay…

Kidney cancer is a complex disease comprising several types of renal carcinomas, which are classified in different subtypes based on their histological characteristics. A small number of cases of renal cancers are due to hereditary predispositions and nearly all the…

The E4orf4 protein of adenovirus induces cell death in human cancer cells and not normal primary cells when expressed alone. E4orf4 is also lethal to the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae, which we use as a model system. E4orf4-induced toxicity in both…

Many of the underlying genetic causes of Uveal Melanoma (UM) metastatic disease still remain to be elucidated. This particular cancer is the most common primary malignant intraocular tumor in adults, comprising approximately 5% of all diagnosed melanoma cases. Despite its…

Activins are members of the transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) superfamily. Though originally identified as stimulators of pituitary follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) synthesis and secretion, they also play diverse biological roles, ranging from control of cellular differentiation to regulation of immune…

Breast cancer is the most frequently diagnosed and the second leading cause of cancer deaths in Canadian women. The most devastating and deadly feature of the disease is the emergence of metastases. Breast cancer most commonly metastasizes to bone, often…

Heat shock cognate 70 kDa protein (hsc70) is a well conserved molecular chaperone involved in many physiological functions such as the stress response, protein folding, and protein transport. Moreover, hsc70 plays roles in human disease, such as cancer, neurodegenerative disease,…