Poul Sorensen

PhD, MD

Investigator, Michael Cuccione Childhood Cancer Research Program, BC Children's Hospital

Most chemotherapeutic agents used to treat childhood malignant tumours target the cellular machinery involved in replicating the DNA of rapidly dividing cells. However, these agents do not distinguish malignant from normal proliferating cells, and therefore may damage the growing child's development. Increasing our understanding of how tumour cells respond to the signals, from outside or within the cell, that tell it to divide or not will give us insights into the pathways specific to tumour cells. Studying these pathways, collectively known as cellular signal transduction pathways, is central to understanding tumour cell biology. Targeting these pathways can be used as a treatment strategy, while minimizing effects on normal growth. The focus of my research group is the investigation of how gene rearrangements or mutations disrupt signal transduction in pediatric malignant tumours, or how genome-wide changes in gene expression relate to signalling alterations in these tumours. The ultimate goal is to identify new therapeutic targets in childhood cancer.