Unravelling the interplay between two proteins in B-cell lymphoma

Meet the scientist

Arianna Sabo' is a researcher at the European institute of Oncology in Milan, Italy. Her lab focuses on c-myc, a gene that is often mutated in cancer.

The science

Many types of cancer are driven by too much of a protein called “Myc” being produced by the cells. This protein acts like a molecular switch, turning on and off many different genes that control cell growth and division.

Thanks to our supporters, Dr Arianna Sabò at the European Institute of Oncology in Milan recently discovered that the tumorigenic activity of Myc required a specific enzyme found in cells. Importantly, this means that this enzyme could be a useful target for treating cancers that produce too much Myc.

Dr Sabò and her team now want to take this research to the next level by dissecting exactly how this enzyme cross-talks with Myc, with the hope of revealing insight into new therapeutic strategies. Dr Sabò is initially investigating this in a type of blood cancer called B-cell lymphoma, but the findings could have benefit for many other cancer types.