PI: Sonia Castillo-Lluva

 

Other group members

PhD Students: Ana García, Angélica Martínez

Technician: Lucía Pilar López

 

Location. BioL4.2

 

Research outline. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is the process by which the epithelial cells gain characteristics of mesenchymal cells resulting in increased migratory and invasive capabilities that may in turn contribute to metastatic dissemination. In breast carcinomas, acquisition of a mesenchymal-like phenotype that is reminiscent of an EMT, is associated with pro-metastatic properties, including increased motility, invasion, anoikis resistance, immunosuppression and cancer stem cell characteristics. The process of EMT is controlled by several proteins. Signalling pathways activated by intrinsic or extrinsic stimuli converge on these proteins and regulate the phenotypic changes of cancer cells. These EMT regulators may play an important role in cancer progression. Our group is focused on how the posttranslational modifications of these regulators are involved in migration and invasion of tumor cells.

 

Keywords: SUMOilation, Ubiquitilation, Rac GTPase, EMT, cell migration and invasion, Breast cancer.

 

Main funding source:

• SAF2015-64499R. Estudio del papel que desempeña la sumoilación de rac1 en la diseminación del cáncer de mama erbb2 positivo. Ministerio de Economía y Competitividad. Sonia Castillo-Lluva
• PR26/16‐20B‐2. Detección tEmprana del deSarrollo tumoral mediante Computación de Altas pResTacionES (DESCARTES). Banco Santander-UCM. Sonia Castillo Lluva; Guillermo Botella Juan; J Miguel Ezquerro Rodriguez