The Cancer and Developmental Biology Program (CDBP) includes 33 faculty distributed in 12 Washington University School of Medicine departments. Developmental biologists share the hypothesis that cancer often results from fundamental errors in developmental regulatory mechanisms. CDBP investigators use model organisms to study oncogenes, oncogenic processes and, developmental pathways, and to test potential cancer therapies. Over the years, fundamental discoveries in developmental biology have led to the identification of new genes and regulatory mechanisms that are involved in the development of malignancies. Fundamental questions being asked by CDBP faculty include: How do cells in different parts of an embryo come to express very different sets of genes? How are such developmental processes programmed in the genome? What happens when developmental regulatory mechanisms fail? How do mutations in developmental genes cause cancer? How do developmental regulatory mechanisms prevent cancer? How do developmental regulatory mechanisms prevent cancer? These are a few of the questions that are being answered in detail by the application of the powerful techniques of modern cell and molecular biology to developmental systems. CDBP faculty to use these systems to identify and understand the function of genes that can cause or modulate its outcome. Importantly, several studies within the CDBP have led to pharmacological studies with potential translation to the clinic. CDBP faculty and students meet on a regular basis to discuss journal articles and present data. Laboratories studying developmental biology utilize many core facilities within the Siteman Cancer Center. These include the Embryonic Stem Cell Core, Multiplexed Gene Analysis Core, Biostatistics and Informatics Core and Small Animal Imaging Core. CDBP members will continue to play a key role in cancer and Informatics Core and Small Animal Imaging Core. CDBP member swill continue to play a key role in cancer and developmental biology education at Washington University School of Medicine and the Siteman Cancer Center.
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