Dr Mark Petronczki
Cell Division and Aneuploidy Laboratory
Cancer Research UK London Research Institute
London
Going separate ways – understanding how cells divide
Dr Mark Petronczki leads a research group at the Clare Hall laboratories, part of our London Research Institute. He is studying the mechanisms that control how cells divide in two, ensuring that each new cell receives the correct amount of DNA – its genetic instructions. If this process goes wrong, cells may get the wrong amount of DNA, which can lead to cancer.
When a cell divides, it first copies its DNA, then divides it equally between two ‘daughter’ cells. The final step in this process is called cytokinesis, when the old cell finally splits in two.
Dr Petronczki and his team are studying the molecular ‘motors’ that drive cytokinesis. They act like a belt tightening around the middle of the cell, causing it to split. The researchers are studying cells grown in the lab to identify the proteins involved in cytokinesis, and discover how they work together to make sure cells divide at the right time and in the right place.
The team are also investigating how cells can end up with the wrong amount of DNA, as a result of mistakes in the cell division process. By understanding more about how this happens, Dr Petronczki and his team hope to find new ways to target cancer cells that don’t divide properly, or have the wrong amount of DNA. Their work could lead to powerful new treatments for cancer in the future.
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