Dr Michael Witcher
Friday, January 28, 2011

PHD, from Salk Institute in San Diego, California

Dr. Witcher is a new investigator who is studying the fundamental aspects of gene regulation. This research could lead to new approaches in cancer treatments.

Gene control and cell proliferation (renewal) in cancer patients: Dr. Witcher is working to discover the reasons why, in the early phases of cancer, tumor suppressor genes regulating cell growth become silenced. Dr. Witcher's work has uncovered a new mechanism whereby these genes become silenced due to the dysfunction of a protein called CTCF. His current work is focused on understanding how an enzyme called PARG causes CTCF dysfunction in cancer.

Dr. Witcher is using the knowledge gleaned from this project to develop new agents to reactivate tumor suppressor genes, inlcuding novel agents that inactivate PARG and by doing so we hope to repress the growth of cancer cells.