Bruce M. Spiegelman, PhD

Dana-Farber Cancer Institute

Academic Titles

Stanley J. Korsmeyer Professor of Cell Biology and Medicine, Medicine, Harvard Medical School

Stanley J. Korsmeyer Professor of Cell Biology and Medicine, Cell Biology, Harvard Medical School

Research Program Affiliation

Member, Sarcoma

Member, Cancer Cell Biology

Member, Prostate Cancer

Research Abstract

We are interested in the regulation of cell differentiation and pathways of differentiation that can be used to force the maturation of human tumors. We have described the fucntion of a novel nuclear receptor, PPARgamma, that controls the differentiation of adipose cells. This transcription factor is also the functioning receptor of the thiazolidinedione (TZD) class of anti-diabetes drugs. Ligand activation of PPARgamma also derived from breast, prostate and colon. Our research is focused on pathways of differentiation induced by activation of PPARgamma in normal and malignant cells. In addition, we are interested in mutations acquired in the PPARgamma pathways during tumorigenesis.