Mohamed Bentires-Alj

Breast development, cancer and metastasis

Each year, breast cancer is diagnosed in over one million women worldwide and more than 400,000 lives are lost to this disease. Although some patients do well after surgery and initial treatment, drug resistance often occurs and tumors relapse. Metastasis is the most serious step in cancer progression and its underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms are still poorly understood. An improved understanding of breast cancer initiation and progression, drug resistance and the factors determining metastatic spread is urgently needed. New therapies are likely to result from a more thorough under-standing of the differentiation program of the cells originating the cancer; the genetic and epigenetic alterations that transform these cells; the metabolism of cancer cells, and their interactions with the stroma.
The focus of our group is the biology of breast development and the pathophysiology of breast cancer. We study oncogenic signaling pathways in cancer cells with special emphasis on the protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) and the PI3K pathway. We also investigate the crosstalk between progenitor/stem cells and their micro-environment in normal mammary gland development and in breast cancer. We aim ultimately to identify and validate novel targets for therapy.

Additional information
FMI report pages for Mohamed Bentires-Alj

Contact
Mohamed Bentires-Alj
Gabi Gruber