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Over the past two decades, enormous progress has been made in understanding the genetic basis of cancer, which affects one in three people in the United States. The goal of the Kirsch Laboratory is to utilize this genetic knowledge to model human cancer in the mouse in order to study the initiation, progression, and metastasis of cancer. Using state-of-the-art tools in genetics, imaging, genomics, and cell biology, we are studying the role of oncogenic pathways and the mechanisms of tumor suppressor gene function in cancer. In addition to studying the genetic and biological development of cancer, we are utilizing mouse models to develop and study current and next-generation therapeutics. Because the usefulness of cancer therapy depends on the ability to deliver treatment with an acceptable level of toxicity, we also utilize mouse genetics to study normal tissue injury from cancer therapy. These studies focus on the mechanisms of acute radiation syndrome and late effects following radiation therapy. |