George Charames MSc, PhD

Dr. George Charames is the Director of the Advanced Molecular Diagnostics Laboratory in Mount Sinai Hospital's Department of Pathology and Lab Medicine, and Assistant Professor in LMP at the University of Toronto. The diagnostic lab performs a wide range of diagnostic tests for a multitude of disorders including Hereditary Breast and Ovarian Cancer, Lynch Syndrome and Familial Adenomatous Polyposis. Additionally, cancer diagnosis and management and other conditions, primarily serving the patients of Ontario.

Dr. Charames' research interests are in the development of genomics and proteomics strategies for the improved clinical diagnostics, with a special focus in breast, ovarian and colorectal cancers. His translational research approach aims to use highthroughput genomic sequencing, in addition to proteomics and biomarker discovery technologies, to improve individualized medicine.

His publications are as follows:
Pethe VV, Charames GS, Bapat B. Rac1b recruits Dishevelled and ?-catenin to Wnt target gene promoters independent of Wnt3A stimulation. Int J Oncol. 2011 Oct;39(4):805-10. doi: 10.3892/ijo.2011.1066. Epub 2011 Jun 6. PubMed PMID: 21667018.
Charames GS, Ramyar L, Mitri A, Berk T, Cheng H, Jung J, Bocangel P, Chodirker B, Greenberg C, Spriggs E, Bapat B. A large novel deletion in the APC promoter region causes gene silencing and leads to classical familial adenomatous polyposis in a Manitoba Mennonite kindred. Hum Genet. 2008 Dec;124(5):535-41. doi: 10.1007/s00439-008-0579-4. Epub 2008 Nov 4. PubMed PMID: 18982352.
Buongiorno P, Pethe VV, Charames GS, Esufali S, Bapat B. Rac1 GTPase and the Rac1 exchange factor Tiam1 associate with Wnt-responsive promoters to enhance beta-catenin/TCF-dependent transcription in colorectal cancer cells. Mol Cancer. 2008 Sep 30;7:73. doi: 10.1186/1476-4598-7-73. PubMed PMID: 18826597; PubMed Central PMCID: PMC2565678.
Esufali S, Charames GS, Bapat B. Suppression of nuclear Wnt signaling leads to stabilization of Rac1 isoforms. FEBS Lett. 2007 Oct 16;581(25):4850-6. Epub 2007 Sep 17. PubMed PMID: 17888911.
Esufali S, Charames GS, Pethe VV, Buongiorno P, Bapat B. Activation of tumor-specific splice variant Rac1b by dishevelled promotes canonical Wnt signaling and decreased adhesion of colorectal cancer cells. Cancer Res. 2007 Mar 15;67(6):2469-79. PubMed PMID: 17363