Establishing a Molecular Tool Database for Tumor-Stroma Interactions

WP leader:

Cord Brakebusch,
University of Copenhagen,
Denmark
cord.brakebusch (at) bric.dk

To limit the complexity in analyzing the molecular mechanisms underlying the phenotypic alterations observed in mutant mice, defects often have to be analyzed in in vitro systems, which have a reduced number of variable parameters and many possibilities of experimental interference with distinct cellular processes.

To facilitate the molecular phenotype analysis of mice with mutations in genes regulating tumor-stroma interactions, a molecular tool database for tumor-stroma interactions will be established. These molecular tools will enable the analysis of gene expression (mRNA, protein), protein-protein interactions (immunoprecipitations of associated molecules, fluorescent colocalization studies), and regulated expression of molecules involved in tumor-stroma interactions.

To further promote molecular analysis of mouse phenotypes we will buy lentiviral knockdown vectors (click for information) for genes involved in tumor-stroma interaction, since we identified the current lack of these tools as a severe drawback in our analysis of mouse mutants. The database will be a model or a test system for other applications in the analysis of mouse models.