ALT Cancers:

Of all cancers, 5-10% are ALT+: an increased incidence is seen in mesenchymal tissue-derived paediatric tumours including osteosarcomas, liposarcomas, and neuroepithelial tumours. In fact, one in three solid paediatric tumours are predictably ALT+. Despite overall improvements in targeted cancer therapies, childhood cancers still rely heavily on non-targeted chemotherapies with debilitating side-effects: hampered development, fertility problems and childhood trauma, amongst many others. 

Our Vision

Our translationally driven genomic stability and telomere biology research group will strive to identify, understand and exploit therapeutic vulnerabilities in biomarker-defined (ALT+) subsets of childhood cancers  to improve both the prognosis and quality of life. We aim to to bridge the gap between discovery and application via a series of interdisciplinary projects with clinicians, chemists and bioinformaticians to tackle the complex problem of developing ALT+ cancer-targeted therapies 

Focus areas for short term

• Identify and characterize new genetic & functional dependencies in ALT+ cancers 

• Identify and functionally characterize ALT-enabling molecular mechanisms

• Identify ALT-predisposition factors 

• Clinical oncology colabs to identify ALT+ epidemiology and histology distribution in India 

Learning support and expected outcome for trainees

• Become trained in metadata analyses 

• Become trained in experimental functional biology experiments, high throughput genetic engineering techniques and advanced microscopy techniques using patient-derived human cancer cell line models

• Develop independent thinking and critical acumen to lead scientific research projects

• Develop scientific communication skills - written and oral

• Publish their discoveries in peer reviewed scientific journals and represent the lab at scientific conferences