Benjamin Alman

Biography

Professor Contact information Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning The Hospital for Sick Children 686 Bay St., Ste 16-9-702 Toronto Ontario M5G 0A4 Phone: 416-813-2178 Fax: 416-813-5252 Email: benjamin.alman@sickkids.ca           Professor Contact information Peter Gilgan Centre for Research and Learning The Hospital for Sick Children 686 Bay St., Ste 16-9-702 Toronto Ontario M5G 0A4 Phone: 416-813-2178 Fax: 416-813-5252 Email: benjamin.alman@sickkids.ca          

Research Interest

Research in Alman lab focusses on 5 broad areas: Wound Healing, Stem Cells and Neoplasia, Cartilage and Joint Development, Joint Degeneration and Repair, and Bone Regeneration. Wound Healing: The entire wound healing process is a complex series of events that begins at the moment of injury and can continue for months to years. Our goal is to determine the role of the Wnt pathway, particularly its key molecule β-catenin, in the reconstitution of epithelial and dermal components of the skin during wound healing. Using different genetically engineered mice designed in our lab, we investigate the fate of the cells that contribute to healing and the role of β-catenin in this process. As part of this work, we identified a novel drug that can be used to decrease scar size, and are working to determine how it can be developed into a topical agent to use for patients. Stem Cells & Neoplasia: Stem cells are the earliest step in the hierarchal progressive maturation to functionally differentiated cells with characteristics of self-renew and fast proliferation. Although the concept that tumours contain a subpopulation of cells with stem cell properties has been demonstrated in a number of tumour types, little has been reported on the role of stem cells in musculoskeletal (MSK) tumours, perhaps due to lack of unique mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) marker. In our studies, we hypothesize that MSK tumours contain a subpopulation of tumour initiating cells. The first step in our research is to identify and isolate tumour initiating cells (TIC) from musculoskeletal tumours. Further study of this population of cells will allow for the characterization of molecular pathways regulating the development of MSK, ultimately identifying potential novel therapeutic targets. We are also studying the role of developmentally important signalling pathways in fibrous and cartilaginous tumours. In this work, we generated genetically modified mice that developed these tumours, and are studying how modulating the signalling pathways causes these tumours, and how this information could be used to develop potential new therapeutic approaches.