Stephen J. Kron

Biography

Cancer can be considered a disease of perpetual cellular youth. In normal cells, proliferation and exposure to environmental stress promote persistent DNA damage at eroded telomeres or within chromosomes, leading to senescence, a cellular proxy for aging. Cancer cells maintain the capacity to proliferate even in the face of genomic instability or genotoxic stress. In studying how to restore the senescence response to cancer cells, our studies revealed a role for metabolic reprogramming in maintaining immortality. Inducing DNA damage while blocking cancer metabolism can induce cellular senescence, suggesting a new approach to cancer treatment.

Research Interest

Cancer, cancer genetics, cancer therapy