Manuela Baccarini Lab

Biological functions of members of the MAPK signaling cascade
 
 
The Raf/MEK/ERK cascade is a highly conserved signal transduction module whose activation reportedly results in a plethora of physiological outcomes. Depending on the cell type or the stimulus used, the pathway has been implicated in proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, and migration. Because of this wide range of activities, these kinases are considered attractive (anticancer) therapeutic targets. However, their essential functions in the context of the whole organism are still unknown. Our laboratory is using conditional mutagenesis to define the essential function(s) and the relevant targets of Raf-1, B-Raf and MEK-1 in in vivo models of organ development, remodeling, and neoplasia.