Recipients
Paul Mellor
Supervisor(s):
Deborah Anderson
Medical scientists are learning more about the link between cancer and diabetes, but the precise mechanisms behind the relationship have yet to be revealed. Dr. Paul Mellor is studying the interaction of two proteins, PI3K and PTEN, which are involved in roughly 30 per cent of all cancer cases and also contribute to diabetes. Recent studies by his supervisor, Dr. Deborah Anderson, have yielded information about how these proteins interact, leading to a number of theories about how they function in cancer and diabetes. Mellor is investigating the role of PI3K and PTEN by developing and studying transgenic mice in which this protein interaction is missing. The experiments could be the first step toward better treatments for patients with cancer and diabetes.
