Program in Cancer Biology: Growth Control and Angiogenesis

University of Helsinki

Director: Academy Professor Kari Alitalo
tel. +358 9 1912 6434
fax +358 9 1912 6448
kari.alitalo(at)helsinki.fi

The Research Programme under the leadership of Academy Professor Kari Alitalo brings together four research groups from the Haartman Institute and the Biocentrum of the University of Helsinki. Through the research groups' joint efforts and common goals, the aim is to concentrate on the key interactive aspects of molecular and cellular cancer biology: on the regulation of cell growth through the cell cycle checkpoints and their deregulation by genetic insults, the invasion of the extracellular matrix and tumour angiogenesis. The groups are already collaborating in several joint experiments and considerable synergism is expected to develop during the Research Programme as all groups focus on cellular signal transduction. During this Programme, new research technologies will be introduced, which will benefit not only the participating laboratories but also other scientists in the Finnish biomedical community. In particular, mouse molecular genetics, gene array methodologies as well as protein interaction studies will be extensively employed to address the problems described below.

The research team consists of four research groups working in close proximity to one another at the Meilahti biomedical campus, currently at the Haartman Institute and from the year 2001 as a part of the Molecular Cancer Biology Research Programme at Biomedicum Helsinki. The team's expertise covers a wide spectrum of modern molecular biology techniques from yeast genetics through biochemistry to in vivo animal models.

Academy Professor Kari Alitalo: The main aim is to understand the mechanisms involved in the development of blood vessels from pre-existing ones in a process called angio-genesis and to learn about the analogous mechanisms of lymphangiogenesis. We are currently investigating angiogenesis and lymphatic vessels particularly in malignant tumours, focusing on growth factor-receptor signalling and growth factor-mediated endothelial cell reprogramming. We have discovered mechanisms involved in the regulation of angiogenesis and a number of new vascular endothelial growth factors (VEGFs) and their receptors, as well as the end-othelial Tie receptor tyrosine kinase.

Professor Jorma Keski-Oja: The main focus of research is on the structure-function relationships of TGF-ß binding proteins (LTBPs) and the activation processes of the latent TGF-ß. Another major focus is the regulation of gelatinase A activity at the cell surface, and the interactions of the plasminogen activator-plasmin system with the MT1-MMP-mediated targeting and activation of the gelatinase.

ocent Marikki Laiho: The main research interests are growth factor actions and interactions in the cell cycle. The current focus is on the steps leading to p53 transcriptional activation and its target genes in biological models, especially its function as a DNA damage response protein. 

Professor Tomi Mäkelä: The main concern is with cell cycle regulation and specifically with the characterisation of the CDK activating kinase CAK leading to the identification and cloning of cyclin H as the partner of CDK7, as well as to the identification of CAK as part of the basal transcription factor TFIIH. This observation has been extended to the study of the functional role of the CDK7 kinase in the TFIIH regulating transcription and DNA repair. Recent studies include the use of budding and fission yeast model systems to study the CDK7 homologues by genetic means.

The individual research teams have well-defined research programmes and they have considerable expertise in their respective research areas as detailed above. The strength of the Programme lies in the overlapping research interests and in the joining of the projects under a common theme, which covers the most important aspects in cancer biology. This gives the individual teams access to the most recent knowledge and technologies and creates considerable synergism. The function of the individual teams is to maintain and enhance the quality of their research and to develop it in directions that will benefit everyone most.

The number of personnel is over 60.

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