Principal Investigator Matthew Vander Heiden
Co-investigators J Love , Jacqueline Lees , Michael Hemann , David Housman , Tyler Jacks , Ram Sasisekharan , Phillip Sharp , Frank Solomon , Robert Langer , Darrell Irvine , Nancy Hopkins , Michael Cima , Forest White , Michael Yaffe
Project Website http://ki.mit.edu/research/personalized
What makes cancer cells different, and dangerous? Among the myriad genetic alterations observed in tumors, only some propel cancer cells to proliferate abnormally, survive inappropriately and resist the drugs administered to destroy them. Furthermore, every cancer is different, as multiple pathways can lead to the same lethal conclusion. To know which alterations represent important therapeutic targets, we need to understand their place in the vast molecular network that underpins cellular function. We are using multiple genomic, proteomic, computational, and in vivo approaches to build a comprehensive “wiring diagram” for cancer cells and their molecular environment. This blueprint will lead us to better, more sophisticated strategies to control individual cancers and combat drug resistance.