Objective
1) STUDY OF MOLECULAR INTERACTIONS OF ENVIRONMENTAL MUTAGENS AND CARCINOGENS AT DNA LEVEL.
2) DEVELOPMENT AND VALIDATION OF METHODS TO IDENTIFY NON-GENOTOXIC CARCINOGENS.
1) THE WORK IS INTENDED TO CONTRIBUTE TO THE DETERMINATION, AT AN INDIVIDUAL LEVEL, OF THE DNA ADDUCTS ATTRIBUABLE TO ALKYLATING CARCINOGENS E.G. NITROSAMINES. IN ADDITION, AN ATTEMPT IS MADE TO ASSESS THE BIOLOGICAL SIGNIFICANCE OF SUCH DNA CHANGES IN RELATION TO CANCER INDUCTION.
IN PARTICULAR, DNA MODIFICATIONS ATTRIBUABLE TO CARCINOGEN EXPOSURE WILL BE EXAMINED IN VARIOUS BANKS OF HUMAN TISSUES.
2) THE INHIBITION OF JUNCTIONAL INTERCELLULAR COMMUNICATION IS USED AS AN END-POINT TO DETECT THE TUMOUR PROMOTING ACTIVITY OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHEMICALS. FOR THIS PURPOSE A "DYE TRANSFER" ASSAY IS TO BE DEVELOPED AS A SHORT-TERM TEST FOR PROMOTING AGENTS. CELLS DERIVED FROM DIFFERENT TISSUES ARE USED TO OVERCOME PROBLEMS OF TISSUE SPECIFICITY.