FCF is pleased to announce that Dr. Nabeel Bardeesy of the Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, MA has been awarded a new two-year grant entitled “Elucidation of nuclear-mitochondrial signaling by DNAJ-PKAc to define targeted vulnerabilities in FLC”.
In fibrolamellar carcinoma (FLC) the development and growth of tumor cells is driven by the presence of the DNAJB1-PRKACA fusion gene. Another hallmark of FLC is the accumulation of large numbers of abnormal mitochondria, cell components that play a key role in energy generation and metabolism. Past research by Dr. Bardeesy revealed that a DNAJ-PKAc inactivates three related protein kinases, the Salt-Inducible Kinases (SIKs). In turn, inactivation of the SIKs leads to the mitochondrial abnormalities in FLC.
In this study, Dr. Bardeesy plans to explore specifically how the DNAJ-PKAc/SIK pathway controls mitochondrial function and how the mitochondrial abnormalities contribute to cancerous growth in FLC. The hope is to discover insights about the development of FLC tumors and to identify potential options for improved treatments of patients with FLC.