Cancer

Numerous research groups in Trieste, in Cape Town, and in New Delhi investigate the genetic and molecular mechanisms of cancer development. In Cape Town, the Cancer Genomics Group (Zerbini) develops novel therapeutics targeting various cellular proteins that are deregulated in cancer. The Protein Networks Group in Trieste (Myers) uses high-throughput mass spectrometry to perform proteomics studies to understand how protein complexes regulate normal and cancer cell behaviour, particularly in the process of protein modification. The Membrane Protein Biology Group in Delhi (Arulandu) investigates the molecular mechanisms underlying the function of membrane proteins, focusing on chloride intracellular channels as potential novel anti-cancer targets. The Tumour Virology Group in Trieste (Banks) studies the mechanisms by which Human Papillomaviruses (HPVs) infect cells and cause cervical cancer.

Highlights 

The Tumour Virology Laboratory made advances in the understanding of the molecular mechanisms behind the increased oncogenicity of the higher-risk Human Papillomavirus HPV58 V1 variant (J Virol 94:e00090-20, 2020).