Oral Cancer Research

Researchers in our college are focused on oral cancer, one of the most common forms of cancer, with a goal of significantly advancing our understandingor oral cancer progression and drug resistance.

First-line treatments for oral cancer typically include surgery, radiation and chemotherapy. Unfortunately, the prognosis of oral cancer remains relatively poor, calling for a better understanding of how these treatments work and why some tumors are resistant, and accordingly, developing more effective treatment options and combinations to overcome drug resistance.

Current Study: Greatwall in Replication Stress/DNA Damage Responses and Oral Cancer Resistance

Aimin Peng, PhD, adjunct professor, received grant funding from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research for the project "Greatwall in replication stress/DNA damage responses and oral cancer resistance." Gregory G. Oakley, PhD, associate professor, is the project's co-investigator.

Peng and Oakley will characterize a protein kinase named Greatwall as a potential drug target to improve the treatment outcome of cancer, including oral cancer. This project will characterize new mechanisms of how the oral cancer cell responds to radiation and therapeutic drugs, and thereby significantly impact our understanding of oral cancer progression and drug resistance.