Catherine J Pallen

PhD

Investigator Emeritus, Michael Cuccione Childhood Cancer Research Program, BC Children's Hospital
Scientist, Michael Cuccione Childhood Cancer Research Program
Associate Member, Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, University of British Columbia

Reversible protein tyrosine phosphorylation is a prominent mechanism utilized in controlling these signalling pathways: protein tyrosine kinases (PTKs) and protein tyrosine phosphatases (PTPs) co-ordinately determine the tyrosine phosphorylation status and the function of a particular substrate protein. Perturbations of such signalling pathways underlie a variety of pathological conditions. Aberrant tyrosine phosphorylation due to malfunctioning PTKs is well established as the basis of several human diseases, in particular human cancers. It is becoming apparent that defective or deregulated PTPs are likewise critical in the development and progression of some human diseases such as cancer and diabetes. Consequently, PTPs are excellent targets for disease intervention.