Signal Transduction

Group Head: Associate Professor Pu Xia

By understanding the role of sphingosine kinase in cancer and diabetes, we seek to develop a new therapeutic strategy to target this enzyme for prevention and treatment of these diseases that account for more than a third of all deaths in Australia.

Research focus

Research in the Signal Transduction laboratory aims to understand how biological signals communicate between and within cells, and how they go awry leading to the development of human diseases, including cancer, diabetes and heart attack. With a strong research background in the area of lipid signalling, this laboratory continues to play a leading role in defining the signalling mechanisms of sphingolipids and investigating their patho-physiological implications specifically in cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular disease.

The current research projects include:

• The role of Sphingosine Kinase (SphK) in the development of breast cancer and anti-estrogen resistance
• The signalling role of SphK in the regulation of pancreatic beta-cell survival and insulin secretion.
• Investigation of inflammatory signalling involved in cardiovascular diseases and diabetic vascular complications.