| Biochemistry |
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The area of biochemistry is represented by the studies of cancer metastasis mechanisms. The majority of cancer deaths arise from the metastatic spread of primary tumors. The most clinically relevant processes, invasion into surrounding tissue and distant organs, are however the least understood. Recent studies in our Department demonstrate that tumor cell invasion may also result from the disorganization and clustering of specific membrane proteins or lipids and their assembly with signaling molecules inducing the activation of associated downstream signaling pathways. Thus, the current projects aim to elucidate the spatial organization of cell surface molecules and activation of linked signaling pathways as cancer cells acquire the invasive phenotype by using human models of cancer cell progression and assessment in clinically relevant specimen.
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