JakStat Signalling

Jaks (Janus kinases) and Stats (signal transducers and activators of transcription) form a unique, fast track for signal transduction from cell surface receptors to target genes. Jak-Stat signalling contributes in many ways to organismic integrity and disturbance of this signalling avenue causes disease in mammalian organisms, including humans. The present initiative SFB-JakStat pools existing resources by creating a veritable JakStat-platform that might constitute the largest one in Europe. This state-of-the-art scientific network of the nine synergistic interacting basic research-oriented groups from three different Viennese universities, the research Institute of Molecular Pathology and the Ludwig Boltzmann Institute of Cancer Research will fundamentally improve international competitiveness. SFB-JakStat presents one management and four scientific work packages. The four scientific work packages address the role of Jaks and/or Stats in two important categories of disease: infection/inflammation and cancer. The highly focussed research within these work packages Jak-Stat in inflammation and immune responses`, Jak-Stat in hematopoiesis and leukemogenesis`, Jak-Stat in carcinoma` (esp. liver cancer) and Jak-Stat in novel mechanisms of action` will shed new light on the canonical and non-canonical signalling events linking infection, inflammation and cancer. Central to SFB-JakStat is an enabling and technology platform comprising the four toolboxes Gene-modified Mice` (Austrian Center of Biomodels and Transgentics), Advanced Cell Culture Models`, Molecular Jak-Stat Tools` and Jak-Stat Expression Profiles/Bioinformatics`. Sub-projects in all work packages - often jointly performed by several SFB groups - will address mechanisms of immunity / inflammation / cancer (involving molecular players and their cellular readout, their activation or transformation, signal transducers), relevant target genes, and the combinatorial input of Jak-Stat and non Jak-Stat signalling paths in their regulation. Moreover contributions of Stats and their interaction partners to chromatin remodelling will be addressed. The long-term perspective of SFB-JakStat is to translate data obtained in animal models to human disease and to pharmaceutical exploitation.