Welcome to the Carrasco Lab
Part of the Department of Oncologic Pathology at Dana-Farber, the Carrasco Lab’s principal focus relates to the Wnt signaling pathway and cancer pathogenesis. We are particularly interested in investigating the role of this pathway across various cancer types including colorectal (CRC) and multiple myeloma (MM) pathogenesis and progression.
Our recent research has produced stabilized alpha helix peptides of BCL9 which target β-catenin, dissociate native β-catenin/BCL9 complexes, selectively suppress Wnt transcription, inhibit CRC and MM migration and tumor spread, and exhibit mechanisms-based antitumor effects in vitro and in vivo, providing a proof of concept into a novel pharmacologic strategy for inhibiting oncogenic Wnt signaling through targeted disruption of BCL9/β-catenin complex.
We also have expertise with the development of mouse xenograft models of CRC and MM for investigating the cellular and molecular mechanism driving tumor progression and metastasis as well as preclinical testing of novel Wnt inhibitors. We have also generated BCL9 transgenic mice that spontaneously develop B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia as well as lung and gastric carcinomas, providing a robust preclinical model in which to test the specificity and anticancer activity of novel small-molecule inhibitors of β-catenin/BCL9 interaction identified.
Our recent research has produced stabilized alpha helix peptides of BCL9 which target β-catenin, dissociate native β-catenin/BCL9 complexes, selectively suppress Wnt transcription, inhibit CRC and MM migration and tumor spread, and exhibit mechanisms-based antitumor effects in vitro and in vivo, providing a proof of concept into a novel pharmacologic strategy for inhibiting oncogenic Wnt signaling through targeted disruption of BCL9/β-catenin complex.
We also have expertise with the development of mouse xenograft models of CRC and MM for investigating the cellular and molecular mechanism driving tumor progression and metastasis as well as preclinical testing of novel Wnt inhibitors. We have also generated BCL9 transgenic mice that spontaneously develop B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia as well as lung and gastric carcinomas, providing a robust preclinical model in which to test the specificity and anticancer activity of novel small-molecule inhibitors of β-catenin/BCL9 interaction identified.
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