The gut hormone Gastrin is an important pleiotropic response modifier that affects many biological processes, cellular differentiation and function, and the development of various diseases. Adequate models explaining how Gastrin acts as a response modifier are essential to understand its role in proliferation and migration. Biological systems are driven by complex processes, representing a significant analysis and modelling challenge. Modern molecular medicine's major challenges lie in developing new strategies for genome-wide data acquisition and analysis coupled with improved knowledge management, including new methods for generation of predictive models that capture essential laws, patterns and principles of biological systems. Systems biology offers a way forward in this direction.

Some first results:

Cytoscape map of the Gastrin/Cholecystokinin hormone mediated signaling network:

model title: CCKR_290312

We are engaged in an effort to enhance the knowledge in databases about DNA binding transcription factors (DbTFs).

The Gastrin Systems Biology project crosses faculties and binds various research groups together. The main participants in this project are:

The Department of Cancer research and Molecular medicine / Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (MH):

Astrid Lægreid – project leader Gastrin Systems Biology

Liv Thommesen - project leader

Torunn Bruland - Postdoctoral scientist

Sushil Tripathi – PhD student

Åsmund Flobak - PhD student

The Department of Biology / Faculty of Natural Sciences (NV):

Martin Kuiper – project leader Systems Biology / Semantic Systems Biology

Vladimir Mironov – Senior Scientist

Aravind Venkatesan – PhD student