The role of the circadian clock in tumour development/progression
Tumour development
is a multi-step process, in which successive genetic alterations of
normal cells lead to the generation of their malignant derivatives.
During that process, cell- and tissuespecific mechanisms are
successfully deactivated, which normally inhibit tumour development and
tumour progression. Is the daily coordination of cellular physiology by
circadian clocks one of those anti-tumour mechanisms? Recent evidence
support such an assumption: (i) the circadian clock and/or some of its
key components act as a tumour suppressor on a molecular as well as
systemic level; (ii) the cell cycle is directly regulated by the
circadian clock through transcriptional control of cell cycle
regulators. The molecular mechanisms, by which the circadian clock acts
in a tumour-suppressive manner, are largely unknown. By using cellular
model systems combined with mathematical modelling approaches, this
project aims to uncover such mechanisms.
description of the 1st period | german version |
description of the 2nd period |