| Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Biology |
Intramural Program Investigators ^ Home ^ |
| Patrice J. Morin, Ph.D., Senior Investigator Chief, Cancer Genomics and Signaling Section |
 Dr. Morin received his Ph.D. from Boston University in 1995. He then completed postdoctoral training at the Johns Hopkins Oncology Center before joining the National Institute on Aging in Baltimore, where he earned tenure in 2004. Dr. Morin also holds an Assistant Professor position at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Department of Pathology.Research Interests: Our laboratory's interest is twofold: ovarian cancer and the Wnt pathway in human cancer. Ovarian cancer is the fourth leading cause of cancer death among women in the United States. Because of a lack of powerful diagnostic tests, early detection has been difficult. Moreover, the molecular mechanisms involved in the initiation and progression of ovarian cancer remain largely unknown. The two main approaches that we will use to tackle these problems are described below. |
| SAGE analysis of normal ovary and ovarian cancer. The best hope for identifying tumor markers resides in a detailed understanding of the differences between normal and cancer cells. It is well documented that, in the process of going from normal to malignant, cells reprogram their gene expression. However, consistent changes that could be useful for diagnosis have remained elusive for most tumor types, including the ovary. SAGE, one of the more powerful techniques currently available for the quantitative study of gene expression, is being used to analyze normal ovary tissue, primary ovarian tumors and ovarian cancer cell lines. This approach has recently been used for colon cancer and has yielded a number of promising tumor marker candidates. Our laboratory is part of a multi-center program sponsored by CGAP (Cancer Genome Anatomy Project, NCI) to perform SAGE on a variety of tissues. |
| Search for genetic alterations in ovarian cancer. Surprisingly little is known about the molecular alterations in ovarian cancer. We plan to establish a large panel of matched normal tissue and ovarian cancer xenografts and to use this panel, in conjunction with ovarian cancer cell lines and primary tumor tissues, to identify genes important in ovarian tumorigenesis. Techniques used include representational difference analysis (RNA) and LOH studies. Of particular interest are chromosomal regions on Xq, 11p and 6q which frequently lost in ovarian cancers, suggesting the presence of tumor suppressor genes important for of ovarian tumorigenesis. |
| The Wnt pathway has recently been shown to be involved in human cancer. APC, a gene mutated in 80% of all colon cancers, is crucial for downregulation of b-catenin and Tcf-mediated transcription. Moreover, colon tumors containing wild-type APC, frequently contain activating mutations in b-catenin, emphasizing the importance of this pathway for colon cancer progression. We are investigating other human tumors for the presence of alterations in the WNT pathway. In addition, we are studying the regulation of the Wnt pathway in normal and in cancer cells using a number of approaches, including the making of transgenic mice for various components of the pathway, antisense strategies and the construction of stable cell lines. Finally, we are also interested in finding direct transcriptional targets for the pathway using several techniques including SAGE and degenerate PCR approaches. |
| Contact Information: Laboratory of Cellular and Molecular Biology Biomedical Research Center, room 06C228 251 Bayview Boulevard, Suite 100 Baltimore, MD 21224-6825 Phone 410-558-8506 Fax 410-558-8386 E mail morinp@grc.nia.nih.gov For more information about the Laboratory: http://www.grc.nia.nih.gov/branches/lbc/cmgu.htm |
| IRP Home What's New Contact Us Accessibility Disclaimer Privacy Site Search Site Map NIA Home |
 |
 |
 |