Wnt Signalling Circuits in Glioma Progression
Project Overview
The main goal of my project is to further characterize the role of Wnt signalling in glioma progression. One objective will be to delineate the Wnt receptor complex important in this context. Indeed, ten FZD receptors and at least 5 co-receptors have been shown to act to transduce Wnt signals. Identifying which FZD(s) and coreceptor(s) are important for glioma progression will not only inform on the downstream signalling pathways that are likely important but will provide a framework for the development of agents to target this pathway to combat disease progression. A second objective will be to further understand how FoxM1, a protein frequently overexpressed in gliomas, functions in Wnt signalling. My undergraduate degree in cell and molecular biology and my Master’s degree in neuroscience ideally prepared me for this project. In addition to the important background, I am already proficient with methods such as flow cytometry, immunohistochemistry, and cell culture that I will be able to leverage for this project.
Principal Investigator
Nishani Rajakulendran , University of Toronto
Partners and Donors
CIBC