Children's Cancer Research Unit
Molecular Oncology
Research Directions
The Molecular Oncology group investigates the underlying molecular basis of cancer, by studying a number of amplification target genes which A/Prof. Byrne and her colleagues have identified. Gene amplification represents a mechanism which commonly activates oncogenes, and Dr Byrne's work focuses upon the chromosome 8q amplification target genes tumor protein D52 and MAL2. The tumor protein D52 (or simply D52) gene was identified by Dr Byrne when she was a post-doctoral fellow in France. She subsequently identified two other broadly-expressed members of this family, and the four-transmembrane protein MAL2, which is a common binding partner of D52-like proteins. The D52 gene is increasingly recognised to be overexpressed in different human cancer types, at different stages of tumour progression. The Molecular Oncology group is now working towards understanding how overexpression of these and other gene amplification targets contributes to cellular transformation and tumor progression, with the ultimate aim of targeting such genes therapeutically.
Current laboratory interests include:
- Molecular and cellular functions for D52-like and MAL-like proteins
- Identification of chromosome 8q amplification target genes in different cancer types
- Biomarker analyses in childhood cancers.
Group Leader Profile - A/Prof. Jennifer Byrne
Career Chronology
Jennifer Byrne undertook her PhD with Professor Peter Smith in the University of Queensland's Department of Pathology from 1989-1992. She then spent 3 years in Professor Paul Basset's laboratory in Strasbourg, France as a NH&MRC-funded CJ Martin postdoctoral fellow. She returned to Australia in 1996 to the Children's Medical Research Institute, and then moved to the Children's Cancer Research Unit at The Children's Hospital at Westmead in 1998. She was appointed Acting Head of the Children's Cancer Research Unit in 2008.
Research Highlights
Since first identifying the tumor protein D52 gene in 1995 (Cancer Res. 55: 2896-903), A/Prof Byrne's work has presented a sequence of original discoveries, including identifying other D52-like genes in human and mouse and thereby a novel gene family (Genomics 35: 523-32), heteromeric interactions between D52-like proteins (Oncogene 16: 873-82), 14-3-3 proteins (J. Mol. Biol. 332: 675-687) and the novel MAL2 protein as partners for D52-like proteins (Genomics 76: 81-88), cell cycle regulation of D52-like protein expression in breast carcinoma cells (Exp. Cell Res. 310: 152-165), and frequent D52 overexpression in breast (Genes Chrom. Cancer 29: 48-57), prostate (Cancer Res. 64: 3814-3822) and ovarian cancer (Int. J. Cancer 117: 1049-1054), in part through gene amplification. A/Prof Byrne has also authored the first reviews of D52-like protein expression and function (Biochem Biophys Res Comm 325: 1115-1121, and references below). Over the last 10 years, her work has been supported by project grants and fellowships of a total value of $1,360,000, including a Cancer Institute NSW Career Development fellowship.
Administrative Roles
A/Prof Byrne has been a member of the Cancer Biology NHMRC Grant Review Panel in 2006 and 2007, and previously acted as a member of Specialty Committee B (Cell Biology) for the National Ranking of Cancer Research Grants, from 2002-2004. She is now Chair of the CMRI/ Children's Hospital at Westmead Institutional Biosafety Committee. A/Prof Byrne is also convenor of the Sydney Branch and Member of the National Executive of the Women in Science Enquiry Network.
Postgraduate Teaching
Jennifer Byrne is a Conjoint Associate Professor and Deputy Postgraduate Co-ordinator in the Discipline of Paediatrics and Child Health at the University of Sydney. She is also the Faculty of Medicine's conference chair representing for the 2008 From Cell to Society postgraduate student conference. A/Prof Byrne has supervised 4 higher degree students and 5 BSc/ MBBS (Hons) students to completion, and is currently supervising 2 PhD students and 1 BSc (Hons) student. In recognition of her contributions to postgraduate teaching and her own achievements in postgraduate student supervision, she was awarded both the University of Sydney's College of Health Sciences and Faculty of Medicine Awards for Excellence in postgraduate research student supervision for 2005. A/Prof Byrne was previously awarded the University of Sydney Discipline of Paediatrics and Child Health Teaching Award for postgraduate teaching and supervision in 2003.
Recent Publications
For a full list of publications by Jennifer Byrne, please visit: http://sydney.edu.au/medicine/people/academics/publications/jennifeb.php
Student Opportunities
Our group is focussing upon determining the functions of a novel group of genes, the tumor protein D52 family, which we have identified through their expression in human breast cancer. We have found that D52 represents a target for gene amplification in several different forms of cancer, and is therefore likely to play a broad causal role in tumorigenesis and progression. We have also identified a protein partner for D52-like proteins, which is a member of the MAL proteolipid family named MAL2. Current laboratory interests include analysing functional differences between D52-like proteins, the significance of interactions between D52-like proteins and MAL2 and other novel partners, the consequences of D52 over- and under-expression in model systems, and the endogenous expression of D52-like and MAL2 proteins in childhood cancer. Student projects are available in all of these areas.
*Dr Byrne was the recipient of the University of Sydney College of Health Sciences Award for Excellence in Higher Degree Supervision, and the University of Sydney Faculty of Medicine Award for Excellence in Higher Degree Supervision, both in 2005.
This document was updated on Friday, 18 May 2012
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