c-Met signaling in lung cancer

Description of projects available to graduate students:
Our laboratory studies hormones and growth factors that control lung cancer growth and survival. This project will examine the hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and its receptor, c-Met. Downstream effects of c-Met signaling will be measured, including how this receptor tyrosine kinase cross-activates other receptors such as the epidermal growth factor receptor. Use of selective inihibitors of HGF and c-Met to reduce lung cancer growth and survival, alone and in combination with other targeted anti-cancer drugs, will be pursued.

Techniques graduate student will learn:
immunoblotting, cell culture, ELISA assays, siRNA, animal xenografts, confocal and immunofluorescent microscopy, immunoprecipitation, MTA assay, immunohistochemistry