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LATS kinases belong to a family of proteins that, in mammals, are comprised of two isoforms, LATS1 and LATS2. Originally identified in Drosophila melanogaster as Warts kinase, LATS1 and LATS2 serine/threonine kinases have been shown to be tumour suppressors (Edwards and Munger 2004). The original homologue of LATS was described as the dlats/warts tumour suppressor in two independent screens in Drosophila (Justice et al. 1995, Xu et al. 1995). Dlats and warts encoded the same gene so in …

Chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML) is a myeloproliferative haematopoietic malignancy, characterised by a karyotypic abnormality present in more than 95% of cases known as the Philadelphia chromosome (Lozzio et al., 1975). CML has its origins in a common myeloid progenitor cell, which differentiates into erythrocytes, megakaryoctes, or granulocytes/monocytes (Fialkow et al., 1977). The Philadelphia Chromosome The Philadelphia chromosome was first …

Oesophageal Adenocarcinoma is on the rise globally affecting more than 450,000 people worldwide (Pennathur, Gibson et al. 2013). Once diagnosed overall 5-year survival ranges from 15 % to 25 %, with the best outcomes being associated diagnosis in the early stages of cancer development (Pennathur, Gibson et al. 2013). Oesophageal Adenocarcinoma (OAC) arises from a pre malignant condition known as Barrett’s Oesophagus (BO). BO is associated with an increased risk of developing OAC compare …

Myrna Hurtado, PhD Student, University of North Texas Health Science Center Advancements in modern medicine have resulted in significantly prolonging and also improving our quality of life. Diseases that were once major afflictions and wiping out vast populations have been almost eradicated. However, these advancements have also led us to realize how much we do not know. It is not improbable to call cancer as the plague of the 21st century. Cance …

Mechanical forces are common in biological systems and dominate numerous perturbations that are relevant to human physiology and disease. Mechanobiology is a new field that evaluates the effects of physical forces on cell behavior, cell/tissue morphogenesis and diseases such as cancer. Most recently this field has matured in a way that it appears feasible to apply this approach for the identification of both disease-related signaling defects and of key determinants of chemoresistance.A …