Maddox Lab
Principal Investigator: Amy Shaub Maddox
Institution: University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (Chapel Hill, NC)
Primary Subfield: Molecular & Cell Bio
Recruitment Status: Inquire for rotation/fellowship opportunities
Research Focus
Modeling septins’ roles in cancer cell biology in a simple animal Abstract Cancer is a constellation of pathologies characterized by re-acquisition of cellular behaviors normally only exhibited during development. In cancer, cell proliferation is mis-regulated and error prone, and tissue integrity is compromised due to dysfunctions of cellular identity, polarity, adhesion, and movement. The biochemical imbalances that lead to these cancer cell biology behaviors result from changes in expression level, and mutation, of genes that are essential for fundamental developmental events. Septins are small GTP-binding proteins that form non-polar oligomeric subunits and non-polar filaments that, in turn, assemble into bundles and sheets. Septins scaffold signaling pathways and other cytoskeletal polymers (actin and microtubules). Septins’ roles in cell division, adhesion, and movement, and other cancer-related cellular processes implicate them in cancerous transformation and progression. Importantly, septin expression is abnormal in, and serves as a biomarker for, several kinds of cancer. Furthermore, septin genes have hotspot mutations in a wide variety of cancers. It is unknown what of se…
Active NIH Awards
- 1R21CA317540-01: Modeling septins' roles in cancer cell biology in a simple animal (2026)
- 5R35GM144238-05: Mechanisms of cell shape change in cytokinesis (2026)
- 5R35GM144238-04: Mechanisms of cell shape change in cytokinesis (2025)
- 3R35GM144238-03S1: Mechanisms of cell shape change in cytokinesis (2024)
- 5R35GM144238-03: Mechanisms of cell shape change in cytokinesis (2024)
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