Metabolism and Cancer

Elucidation of the molecular mechanisms taking place during the shift in gene expression in the transition between cell proliferation and cell differentiation will help not only to understand why the cell proliferate instead of differentiate in response to external stimuli, but also will help to design new strategies to modify such process.

A cross-talk between metabolic regulators, such as nuclear receptors, and cell cycle regulatory proteins might exist in order to insure a coordinated response to external stimuli. Disturbances in this cross-talk may result in impaired metabolism, or proliferative disorders. Our research projects try, on the one hand, to implicate metabolic regulators, such as PPARg in the control of cell proliferation.

Forcing proliferating tumoral cells to acquire a differentiated phenotype, through activation of PPARg should be considered as an alternative or complementary therapy for the treatment of cancer. Moreover, the analysis of the participation of cell cycle regulatory proteins in metabolic processes will open up new perspectives for the treatment of metabolic disorders such as obesity or diabetes. .