Decoding the Cell Cycle: How a Key Protein Shapes Cell Fate and Cancer Treatment

Every day, billions of cells in our body divide, grow, and repair tissue to keep us healthy. This process, known as the cell cycle, is tightly regulated to ensure that cells divide at the right time and with the right instructions. When this process goes awry, it can lead to diseases such as cancer—where cells divide uncontrollably.

One key player in this process is FOXM1, a protein that acts like a conductor, orchestrating when and how cells move through the cycle. Scientists have long known that FOXM1 is crucial for normal cell growth, but its behavior in individual cells—especially when the cell cycle is disrupted—has remained a mystery. Our new study sheds light on this, uncovering how FOXM1 behaves under different conditions and what this could mean for cancer research and treatment.

What Did We Discover?

Using cutting-edge single-cell imaging, our team tracked how FOXM1 behaves in real-time when cells are exposed to different drugs. Instead of responding the same way every time, we found that FOXM1 activity is surprisingly variable—even among cells exposed to the same drug.

This variability led to six distinct cell fates:
✅ Normal division
⏳ Delayed division
🔄 Slowed cell cycle
🛑 Cell cycle arrest at early stages (G1 phase)
🚦 Cell cycle arrest at late stages (G2 phase)
💀 Cell death

This means that when cells are treated with certain drugs—such as those used in chemotherapy—they don’t all react the same way. Some keep growing, others pause, and some die off. Understanding this diversity is crucial for personalizing cancer treatment and predicting how different patients' tumors might respond to therapy.

Why Does This Matter for Cancer Treatment?

FOXM1 is often overactive in many cancers, including breast, lung, prostate, and colon cancer. By studying its real-time dynamics, we’ve uncovered new ways to predict how cancer cells might respond to drugs that target the cell cycle. This could lead to:

🔬 Better drug selection – Doctors could use FOXM1 activity as a biomarker to identify the most effective treatment for individual patients.

💊 Combination therapies – If a drug doesn’t work on all cells, combining it with another that targets a different phase of the cycle might improve outcomes.

🧬 Personalized cancer care – With tools like live-cell imaging, we can fine-tune treatments to match a patient's unique cancer profile, avoiding ineffective therapies and reducing side effects.

Celebrating Tooba: The Driving Force Behind This Study

A special congratulations to Tooba Jawwad, the first author of this study, who has shown incredible dedication and resilience in her scientific journey. Tooba, a PhD student from Pakistan, has worked tirelessly in our pharmacology program while balancing an equally important role—being a devoted mother to her 10-year-old daughter.

Moving to Thailand to pursue a PhD is no small feat, and doing so while raising a child requires extraordinary commitment and perseverance. Despite the challenges, Tooba excelled in her research, demonstrating exceptional scientific rigor, creativity, and determination in unraveling the mysteries of FOXM1 dynamics.

Her ability to navigate the complexities of cutting-edge cancer research while also being a mother is truly inspiring. She embodies the spirit of resilience, and we are incredibly proud to celebrate her contributions to science.

Tooba’s journey is a testament to the power of passion, hard work, and the unwavering pursuit of knowledge. We hope her story inspires more young scientists—especially women in STEM—to pursue their dreams, no matter the challenges they face.

What’s Next?

Our study opens the door for more research into how FOXM1 could be used as a clinical tool. By studying its role in real patients, we can develop more precise cancer therapies that adapt to the unique characteristics of each tumor.

The future of cancer treatment isn’t just about killing cancer cells—it’s about understanding their behavior. FOXM1 is giving us a new lens to see cancer in action, and we’re excited about where this research will take us next.

Stay tuned for more discoveries from our lab! 🚀🔬

Published in Cell Proliferation (Q1 Impact Factor: 5.9)
Article DOI : 10.1111/cpr.70019