Preclinical Models and New Therapies

The main goals of our laboratory are: 1) to identify and study new genes involved in tumor development and progression, 2) to generate new mouse models of human diseases with preclinical interest, and 3) to translate this knowledge into clinical therapies by identifying and testing new chemotherapeutic drugs and immuno-modulatory agents in patient tumor cells and preclinical mouse models.

The projects that we are offering are:

1) Characterization of the role of TRAF1 in T cell-mediated autoimmunity and T cell transformation. TRAF1 is a member of the TNF-Receptor Associated family that regulates the activity of distinct TNFR family members. Deregulated expression of TRAF1 is observed in different human pathologies, such as autoimmune diseases, leukemia and lymphoma. We have generated a transgenic mouse expressing TRAF1 in T lymphocytes to determine the role of TRAF1 in both normal T cell physiology and pathology. The student will participate in the characterization of this mouse model.  

2) Characterization of the mechanism of action of indole-3-carbinol (I3C), a new drug with activity against refractory chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). We have recently identified I3C as a new drug active against CLL cells that do not respond to the current treatments. This make this drug suitable for treating patients with refractory CLL as adjuvant therapy. The student will participate in the elucidation of the mechanism of action of I3C and in the identification of the molecular target of this drug.