Research

Our goal: the VCF lab is fundamentally interestered in two frontiers: firstly to understand the role of ribosome biogenesis in skeletal and cardiac muscle in the regulation of protein synthesis and cell size determination; and secondly, we are also interested in the clinical applications of ribosome biogenesis in muscle cells. The clinical applications vary from in health and in disease states, such as in young versus old people, and in exercise and disuse states such as bed rest. We are particularly interested in uncovering the role of muscle ribosomes during muscle hypertrophy and during muscle atrophy.  

Our particular attention has been drawn to disease states that affect skeletal and cardiac muscle, such as pancreatic cancer and chemotherapy treatments. Several of the projects performed in our lab revolves around the deleterious effect of cancer cachexia induced by pancreatic cancer and associated chemotherapy treatments on skeletal and cardiac muscles.

We apply a range of different genetic modified mice models to investigate muscle ribosome biogenesis, and a series of interventions that can promote muscle hypertrophy and atrophy. 

We use several wet-lab techniques routinely, such as Real-Time PCR, Western blotting, Immunohistochemistry, allied with metabolic labelling, DNA methylation among others.