Polycomb genes
The Polycomb Group of epigenetic regulators silences genes involved in many cellular processes, including apoptosis, proliferation and senescence. Two of these proteins, Bmi1 and Cbx7, promote lymphomagenesis in mice, and elevated CBX7 expression in human follicular lymphoma correlates with both high Myc expression and advanced tumour grade (Scott et al PNAS 2007 PMID: 17374722). As p53 is important in promoting apoptosis in response to anti-cancer drugs, we are investigating the ability of Cbx7 and Bmi1 to cause drug resistance in Myc-driven lymphomas and are searching for downstream targets (Adisa, Happo, Sugiana and Scott, unpublished).