The Laboratory of Cellular Oncology (LCO) conducts fundamental and applied research on the cellular and molecular basis of neoplasia. The LCO is composed of four interacting groups, headed by Drs. Douglas R. Lowy, Chris Buck, John T. Schiller, and Giovanna Tosato. The research in the LCO is diverse. It focuses on normal and abnormal growth regulation in cellular and animal models, protein trafficking, cell signaling, gene regulation by retroviruses, and papillomaviruses. Fellows develop their own projects in discussion with the principal investigators. There is a great deal of interaction within each research group and between the groups. Most investigations use molecular genetic, biochemical genetic, cell biology, biochemical and physical biochemical approaches. The research is hypothesis driven and mechanistically oriented. The projects vary from fundamental aspects of biology to applied clinical research.

Current investigations include the pathogenesis of myeloid leukemia, regulation of p53 by human retroviral genes, the role of E-cadherin in normal and abnormal growth, and regulation of Arf family GTP-binding proteins by AZAP family ArfGAPs. The papillomavirus research is concerned with mechanisms of virus assembly, cell transformation by the viral oncogenes and their protein products, the epidemiology and natural history of papillomavirus infection, and the development of vaccines against genital papillomavirus infection and cervical cancer.