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Lunenfeld-Tanenbaum
Research Institute
Mount Sinai Hospital
Joseph & Wolf Lebovic Health Complex
600 University Avenue
Toronto Ontario M5G 1X5
Tel: 416-586-4800 ext.8233
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Dr. Jim Dennis
SENIOR
INVESTIGATOR
Dr.
Jim Dennis draws on a broad range of expertise, including structural
biology, biochemistry, genetics and cell biology in his investigation
of the cellular mechanisms involved in cancer, diabetes and autoimmune
disease. These diseases often occur in midlife, and represent a large
loss in productive years and increase in health cost to
Canadians.
Our knowledge of the genetic factors underlying these conditions is
growing rapidly with recent advances in technology for genome
sequencing, proteomics and systems biology. There is a renewed
appreciation that basic metabolism works intimately with genes to
determine normal and disease process.
In a series of ground-breaking studies published in the prestigious
journals Nature (2001), Science (2004), Cell (2007), and Nature
Communications (2011), Dr. Dennis reported a new role for sugar
metabolism in the modification of proteins on the cell surface. These
findings provide an important mechanism of adaptation at the cell
surface, thus responsiveness to cues outside the cell as conditions
change. The capacity for adaptation is often disrupted by chronic
disease, stress and aging. Dr. Dennis' group has also developed
computational models to help predict disease severity for newly
discovered gene variants. The model has been used to search for and
explain heritable genetic and metabolic susceptibility to autoimmune
disease, and lead to novel paradigms for diagnostic and treatment. More
recently the lab has explored the evolution of this adaptive system to
better understand genetic risk factors in humans. These studies have
revealed rapidly evolving genes as candidates for further study in
disease, and also evidence for the impact of protein modification on
genomes and the topology of the genetic code.
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