New award from the Swiss National Science Foundation to Giuseppina Carbone to study prostate cancer evolution and innovative therapeutic approaches
Institute of Oncology Research
Dr. Giuseppina Carbone, group leader of the Prostate Cancer Biology laboratory at the IOR, obtained funding from the Swiss National Science Foundation to pursue a 4-year project entitled "EHF/ESE3 transcription factor as a regulator of prostate epithelial cell differentiation and stem cell properties". This grant will continue the long-time effort of Carbone’s laboratory to understand prostate cancer progression and investigate the role of the tumor suppressor EHF in this process. The laboratory has recently generated mouse models with prostate-specific EHF knockout. Functional and multi-omics characterization points to novel roles of EHF in the control of cell identity and its impact on the tumor microenvironment and immune response. This new research project aims specifically to dissect the role of EHF in the control of phenotypic plasticity and tumor evolution and its impact on the tumor microenvironment. To this end, the laboratory will implement state-of-the-art experimental approaches and advanced bioinformatic tools. These studies will lead to a deeper understanding of prostate cancer biology and disease progression mechanisms. Our models will provide a robust preclinical platform for gaining mechanistic insights and discovering innovative therapeutic strategies for arresting cancer cell lineage plasticity and preventing PC progression.
