Hematology/Oncology and Bone Marrow Transplantation

Director of Oncology Research, Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh
The Paul C. Gaffney Professor of Pediatrics and Professor of Molecular Genetics and Biochemistry, The University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine


Division of Pediatric Hematology/Oncology
Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh
3705 Fifth Ave.
Pittsburgh, PA 15213

412-692-6795
412-692-5228 Fax
procev@chp.edu
Patient Appointment Information

Medical School:

1978 The University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, Chicago, IL

Residency:

1980 Children's Hospital of Boston, Boston, MA

Fellowship:

1983 Children's Hospital of Boston Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA

• American Pediatric Society
• American Society for Clinical Investigation
• American Society of Hematology
• American Society for Microbiology
• Society for Pediatric Research

• American Board of Pediatrics
• Pediatric Hematology/Oncology

• Primary Investigator, Evaluation of molecular inhibitors of the c-myc oncoprotein
• Primary Investigator, Regulation of and by the Myc oncoprotein

Current research in our laboratory focuses upon the function and pharmacologic regulation of the c-Myc oncoprotein. The CMYC gene is de-regulated in a significant number of human cancers and its over-expression in various animal models leads to the development of a variety of malignancies. The de-regulated expression of c-Myc also leads to abnormalities of cell growth, survival, differentiation and chromosomal stability; several of these effects were first described in our laboratory. The c-Myc protein is a transcription factor that regulates the expression of a large number of downstream target genes. We have used DNA microarrays to identify many of these genes and have recently focused on how several of them mediate the downstream effects of c-Myc on transformation and other properties. In a separate set of studies, we have developed a number of low molecular weight, drug-like compounds that can inhibit the transcriptional activity of c-Myc and are potentially useful as novel chemotherapeutic agents. Current collaborative work is focused on using techniques such as x-ray crystallography, NMR spectroscopy, and in vitro mutagenesis to determine the structures of these compounds in association with c-Myc. Such structures should aid in the rational design of even more effective compounds.