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Cancer is, at its core, a genetic disease. The Cancer Biology program studies the genetic - and epigenetic -- origins of cancer and the changes in protein signaling that result. The program also seeks to better understand the fundamental biology of stem and progenitor cells, and how their behavior can be seen within tumor cells.

All of these factors - genetics, epigenetics, cell signaling and stem cell behavior -- can contribute evolutionary fuel to the fire that drives cancer cell survival at the expense of patient health.

Among the aims of the Cancer Biology program are to:

Examine genomic and cellular signaling perturbations in selected human cancers and their surrounding tissues.

Investigate the role of epigenetic changes in both normal and tumor cells.

Identify genes that cooperate in oncogenesis or afford an escape route when oncogenic signaling is inhibited.

Understand the biology of stem and progenitor cells and how they may relate to the growth and action of tumor cells.

The ultimate goal of the program is identify suitable targets for intervention in cancer and use this information to inform novel preclinical studies and clinical trials that target cooperating cancer-promoting pathways. In order to make this possible, the Cancer Biology program works closely with members of the Developmental Therapeutics program and Fox Chase's Institute for Personalized Medicine.

Program Members
Co-leaders Dr. Jonathan Chernoff and Dr. Joseph Testa	The Cancer Biology Program is comprised of a team of Researchers at Fox Chase seeking to understand the fundamental events that drive cancer. Program Members »