The spread of cancer from its tissue of origin and its subsequent growth in other organs is the most life threatening aspect of the disease. This process is called metastasis, and is comprised of a series of critical steps known as the metastatic cascade. The cascade involves the invasion of cells from the primary tumor into the surrounding tissue, intravasation and transport in the blood or lymphatic system, extravasation, and proliferation of tumor cells at the secondary sites. The most critical step of metastasis is invasion. Three main modes of overcoming the barrier of the surrounding tissue by tumor cells were described: the mesenchymal, collective and amoeboid mode. The mesenchymal and collective modes of invasion are both characterized by proteolytic depend remodeling of surrounding tissue and integrin mediated cell tissue contacts. Amoeboid invasion is proteolysis and integrin independent and characterized by increased activity of the Rho kinase ROCK. In addition we have strong interest in analysis of the role of integrin-mediated signaling in mesenchymal invasiveness.

The laboratory of cancer cell invasion is investigating molecular and morphological processes required for successful invasion of cancer cells and molecular aspects of cell transformation.

Currently, we are investigating various aspects of cancer invasive behavior using a variety of experimental approaches, inluding, but not limited to, high resolution microscopy, 3D cell cultivation, establishment and analysis of Crispr KO clones, protein and gene expression analysis and sub-cellular detection of protein activity using biosensors. See our individual research projects for more detail.