Welcome to the website for the Graham Laboratory at the University of Colorado at Denver Anschutz Medical Campus.
The Graham lab focuses much of its research on the TAM family of Receptor Tyrosine Kinases (RTKs) and how these RTKs contribute to the development and progression of human cancer. Tyro-3, Axl, and Mer constitute the TAM family of RTKs and are characterized by a conserved sequence within the kinase domain and adhesion molecule-like extracellular domains. This RTK family regulates an intriguing mix of normal cellular processes, including proliferation/survival, adhesion and migration, blood clot stabilization, and regulation of inflammatory cytokine release. Signaling pathways employed by the TAM family have been recently elucidated and shown to mediate diverse cellular functions, including macrophage clearance of apoptotic cells, platelet aggregation, and natural killer (NK) cell differentiation. Our lab is particularly interested in TAM receptor function in platelets and macrophages.
Aberrant expression of the TAM family receptors has been linked with multiple different cancers including leukemia, melanoma, and cancers of the lung, breast, colon, prostate, thyroid, and liver. Current projects in the lab include the study of TAM receptor activation and signaling in acute lymphoblastic leukemia, acute myeloid leukemia, and non-small cell lung cancer.
Additional information regarding the TAM family of receptors is available through the following links:
Tyro3
Axl
MerTK