Objective
Cancer can be considered a disease of communication at molecular level. The area of cell signalling investigates the transmission of information from receptors to gene activation by means of biochemical reaction pathways that form complex signalling networks and impinge on development and health of organisms. COSBICS is to establish and apply a novel computational framework in which to investigate dynamic interactions of molecules within cells. Instead of simply mapping proteins in a pathway, COSBICS is concerned with "dynamic pathway modelling". Dynamic pathway modelling establishes mathematical models to quantitatively predict the spatial-temporal response of signalling pathways and subsequent target gene expression. To understand how biochemical networks make decisions, the dynamic interactions of proteins are important rather than just creating static maps of involved components. Our previous work has shown that mathematical modelling does provide practical, useful tools to design experiments and allows hypotheses testing to generate new biological knowledge. For this, a multidisciplinary approach combining an iterative modelling process with advances in quantitative data generation is essential. This requires close interaction between experimental groups, data analysts and modellers. The aim is to develop methodologies that are generic in the sense that they are applicable to signalling networks in general, and as independent of the organism as possible. Towards this end, this project is to consider two important systems: the Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK pathway and the JAK-STAT pathway. COSBICS is to investigate with these pathways the heart of the intracellular communication network that governs cell growth, differentiation and survival. Combining mathematical modelling with biology, COSBICS will improve our understanding of how these two central communication networks are subverted in tumour cells and thus promote the generation of new knowledge in fucntional genomics.
Fields of science
Call for proposal
FP6-2003-LIFESCIHEALTH-I
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