Zhou Receives Grant from Arkansas Breast Cancer Research Program
JONESBORO – A faculty researcher at Arkansas State University will continue his study of how breast cancer cells behave, with assistance from a new grant.
Dr. Guolei Zhou, professor of cell biology, is conducting his research with support recently awarded by the Arkansas Breast Cancer Research Program (ABCRP). The program approved a grant of $50,000 for his research, titled “CAP1 Mediates cAMP Signals in the Cell Type-Specific Regulation of Breast Cancer Cell Proliferation.”
Zhou’s project will dissect how the protein CAP1 (Cyclase-Associated Protein 1) mediates signals from the major second messenger, cyclic AMP, in regulating the proliferation of breast cancer cells. This project is based on a novel cell signal transduction pathway recently identified in his lab at A-State, through which cAMP signals that are activated by many growth factors and hormones regulate CAP1 to control the cell functions in adhesion and proliferation.
“The most prominent hallmark of cancer is uncontrolled cell growth and proliferation,” Zhou explained. “Mechanistic understanding of how cancer cell proliferation is controlled will help pave the way for development of new or improved cancer therapeutics. Breast cancer is well known to be highly diverse, and accordingly treatment strategies are tailored to the particular type of cancer for achieving the best treatment outcome. Our primary goal of this project is to elucidate how this new signaling pathway differentially regulates proliferation in different types of breast cancer cells.”
Reviewers evaluated the scientific merit of each proposal and provided input for the ABCRP Oversight Committee. With this funding, Zhou is participating in a statewide effort to improve breast cancer care, treatment, and prevention through research. This is the second time Zhou has received the competitive funding from ABCRP, following his previous one in 2012.
The Arkansas Breast Cancer Research Program is operated through the Winthrop P. Rockefeller Cancer Institute at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.
