Research
Understanding Cancer Starts With Basic Research
The mission of the Department of Molecular Carcinogenesis is to identify genetic and epigenetic changes that contribute to cancer development, as well as the environmental causes of those changes. Studies aim to define the molecular mechanisms that control normal cell proliferation, differentiation, survival and genome maintenance in order to identify the processes that drive carcinogenesis. Research in the department is multidisciplinary and can be loosely categorized into three overall focus areas:
 | Cellular and Molecular Mechanisms of Carcinogenesis
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 | DNA Damage, Repair and Mutagenesis Mechanisms of cellular responses to DNA damage, including programmed DNA damage and repair and its disruption during cancer development. |
 | Cancer Epigenetics Epigenetic control of normal cell processes and cancer progression, including histone modifications, DNA methylation and development of drug therapies targeting chromatin. |
Related Programs and Centers
Research Highlight
Prostate cancer cells that express low levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) give rise to cancer stem cells that are both hard to kill with existing drugs and highly capable of generating cancer cells on a large scale. Studies in the Tang lab have recently shed light on these resilient cells, revealing that low-PSA prostate cancer cells divide slowly and express anti-stress genes that help them resist chemotherapy.
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Learn more about the Tang Laboratory.