Molecular insights in intestinal cancer

PhD candidate Olaf van den Broek studied the effect of mutations in transcription factor TCF1 (which plays a key role in embryonic development) in zebra fish.

Van den Broek discovered that the Foxd3 gene is regulated by TCF1. Foxd3 is known to be responsible for preventing cell differentiation. This would correspond with the development of intestinal cancer, because dividing, non-differentiated cells make it possible for cancer to exist. The next question is whether Foxd3 is expressed to a greater degree in intestinal cancer cells, which could mean it is responsible for one step in the development of this type of cancer.

Olaf van den Broek: “TCF1 during early embryogenesis.”