Speaker: Prof. Bangyan Stiles
– Associate Professor of Pharmacology and Pharmaceutical Sciences,
School of Pharmacy, University of Southern California
Talk title : PTEN pathway, Metabolism and Tumorigenesis
Date: 5 January 2016 (Tuesday)
Time: 2:30 to 3:30pm
Venue: Room G003, E12 Building
Abstract:
Obesity confers an independent risk for carcinogenesis. Prof. Stiles’ lab used a murine model where Pten deletion leads to steatosis followed by liver cancer development to understand the contribution of obesity to carcinogenesis. Her studies demonstrated the liver cancer formation, from tumor initiating cells (TICs), are blocked when steatosis is inhibited. She established that Wnt is induced by steatosis and that Wnt signal is necessary for TIC expansion and tumorigenesis in these mice. These data established Wnt/b-catenin as a novel signal induced by steatosis to promote tumor growth, underlying the increased risk of tumor development in obese individuals.
