Mouse Models and Cancer Stem Cells

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The scientific goals and central themes of the Mouse Models and Cancer Stem Cells Program are to investigate stem cell function, including self renewal and differentiation, growth factor requirements and microRNAs, using mouse, Drosophila, Xenopus, and zebrafish as models, with the goal of learning more about tissue and cancer stem cells. In addition, developmental signaling pathways that are known to be reactivated and drive the cancer cell phenotype, including the Wnt/p-catenin, ErbB2 and TAM receptor tyrosine kinases, and TGF-P pathways, are being studied. Genetic models are being developed and used to study cancer and inflammation. The program includes eleven members from six different laboratories: Senyon Choe (TGF-J3 receptor structure and signaling), Fred Gage (stem cell self renewal in the nervous system and cancer), Juan Carlos Izpisua Belmonte (tissue stem cell function in development and cancer), Leanne Jones (stem cell self renewal mechanisms), Chris Kintner (Notch pathway signaling in development), Kuo-Fen Lee (ErbB2 receptor tyrosine kinase signaling), Greg Lemke (TAM receptor tyrosine kinase signaling in the immune system), Samuel Pfaff (EphA receptor tyrosine kinase signaling in development), John Thomas (Drosophila glioblastoma model), InderVerma (mouse models of cancer and lentivirus vector development), and John Young (host cell factors in HTLV infection). The total amount of peer-reviewed support (direct costs) for the last budget year was $7,449,255. None of this was from direct NCI support. Substantial NIH and other federal support for this program is outlined in the table of externally funded research projects. The total number of publications by members of this program in the last grant period (2004-2008) was 299. Of the total publications, 10% were intraprogrammatic and 11 % were interprogrammatic (see Section 8 for explanation of how the program reorganization affects these numbers).