The Jackson Laboratory Cancer Center has supported the basic research of its members and of cancer researchers at large for over 40 years through leadership in genetic models of cancer. These approaches have enabled development of our precision genetics Research Program focused on cancer therapeutic resistance and novel solutions to overcome it. Building on this successful foundation, the Program is now evolving to include the dimension of aging pathobiology and has been renamed “Genetics and Genomics of Aging and Cancer”. Our Program is centered around a common goal: to uncover the genetic, epigenetic, and transcriptional mechanisms that drive aging-associated cellular dysfunction, chronic inflammation, and immune dysfunction, as well as their impacts on cancer and/or cancer therapies.
The pillars of our approach are the integration of mouse and human biology, organismal and cellular models of aging and of cancer, and advanced genomic technologies empowered by intelligent computational systems. The dynamic integration of cross-species data, supported by in silico and laboratory experimentation, enables us to continuously unearth impactful discoveries and refine assumptions to pierce the complexity of cancer. We have organized our Research Program as three complementary and interrelated Specific Aims. By design, the individual research directions of most JAXCC members span more than one Aim.
Aim 1: Uncover cancer cell-intrinsic mechanisms contributing to tumor progression and treatment resistance and how they are modulated by aging.
Aim 2: Dissect the complexity of the tumor microenvironment and its associations with genetics and aging.
Aim 3: Decipher and modulate aging-associated pathology in the host to prevent tumor progression and treatment resistance.
Impact: By working closely with the JAX Center for Aging Research, which includes the NIA-funded Nathan Shock Center of Excellence in the Basic Biology of Aging and the Interventions Testing Program, we will seek insights into cancer development, metastasis, and treatment resistance in the context of the human life cycle to foster development of age-tailored interventions and generate the next wave of discoveries for potential clinical impact.
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