DEPARTMENT OF PATHOLOGY DIVISIONS Experimental Pathology    [ Division of Experimental Pathology Website ] The mission of the scientists in the Division of Experimental Pathology is to conduct research on normal and abnormal tissue growth and differentiation, mechanisms of immunity, pathways leading to disease, and markers of molecular diagnosis, using techniques from cellular and molecular biology. HIGHLIGHTS Research on the role of growth factors, including hepatocyte growth factor (HGF), transforming growth factors x and b, Interleukin 6, and tumor necrosis factor (TNF), on the biology of normal and neoplastic cells Role of growth factors in liver regeneration and carcinogenesis Investigation of chemical substances that act as tumor promoters Studies on the role of the histocom-patibility loci as regulators of immune function, organismal growth, placental function, pregnancy, and antigenic processing Studies of the role of growth factors and matrix in lung development and injury Studies of the structure/function, biosynthesis, and assembly of HLA molecules Studies of the biology of the normal and neoplastic prostatic epithelium Studies of the role of different k-ras mutations on colonic tumor progression Studies utilizing our tissue bank of human tissue with chip arrays and biometrics