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Background
- Tuberous Sclerosis Complex
Lymphangioleiomyomatosis
- TSC1 and TSC2
- Mitotic phosphorylation of TSC1
- Centrosomes
- Ploidy
- Funding and awareness
Current projects
- Role of PLK1-TSC1 interaction in TSC
- Drug screen for TSC
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Current projects
Role of the PLK1-Hamartin interaction in the pathogenesis of
Tuberous Sclerosis Complex
Funded by the Department
of Defense (2009-2012).
We demonstrated that TSC1 interacts with the mitotic kinase PLK1.
Furthermore, this interaction seems to render the TSC1/TSC2 complex
inactive.
This project focuses in three areas: (a) to investigate the mechanism
of PLK1-dependent mTOR signaling, (b) to study the role of PLK1,
TSC1/TSC2, and mTOR in mitotic progression, and (c) to determine
whether PLK1 can be use as a therapeutic target for TSC.
Drug screen for TSC
Funded by the Tuberous
Sclerosis Alliance (2010-2012).
Current treatments for TSC are mostly symptomatic. Rapamycin provides
significant imrpovement of quality of life, however it is not clear
that rapamycin will be sufficient to provide a permament cure for
TSC.
Our goal is to identify new drugs that could be used as therapeutics
for TSC. We are currently screening a library of FDA-approved drugs
for their potential to inhibit the growth of TSC-related cells.
After the initial screens, a number of targets will be further validated,
interactions with other drugs will be investigated, and their effects
on cell death and mTOR signaling will be studied.
Future studies in TSC animal models will be required to test the
efficacy of these drugs.
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