In breast cancer, the currently approved anti-receptor tyrosine-protein kinase erbB-2 (HER2) therapies do not fully meet the expected clinical goals due to therapy resistance. Identifying alternative HER2-related therapeutic targets could offer a means to overcome these resistance mechanisms. We have…
Myosin-X and talin modulate integrin activity at filopodia tips by Mitro Miihkinen et al.
Filopodia assemble unique integrin-adhesion complexes to sense the extracellular matrix. However, the mechanisms of integrin regulation in filopodia are poorly defined. Here, we report that active integrins accumulate at the tip of myosin-X (MYO10)-positive filopodia, while inactive integrins are uniformly…
Paulina’s paper is accepted !!
Celebrating our recent publication in Nature Cell Biology and the associated Highlight written by Pat Caswell ! Thanks Pat !…
Martina Lerche defended her PhD thesis in September – such a RUSH !
Warm thank to Patrick Caswell, her opponent from University of Manchester, for joining us in person. It was an amazing scientific discussion. Now Martina is fighting border guards to enter the US and join the lab of Clare Waterman! Good…
Zebrafish Embryo Xenograft and Metastasis Assay by Ilkka Paatero et al.
Xenograft models, and in particular the mouse xenograft model, where human cancer cells are transplanted into immunocompromised mice, have been used extensively in cancer studies. Although these models have contributed enormously to our understanding of cancer biology, the zebrafish xenograft…
Talin rod domain-containing protein 1 (TLNRD1) is a novel actin-bundling protein which promotes filopodia formation by Alana R Cowell et al.
Talin is a mechanosensitive adapter protein that couples integrins to the cytoskeleton. Talin rod domain-containing protein 1 (TLNRD1) shares 22% homology with the talin R7R8 rod domains, and is highly conserved throughout vertebrate evolution, although little is known about its…
Integrin adhesion complexes by Megan R Chastney et al.
Tissue architecture and function are orchestrated by an intricate repertoire of cellular adhesion and signalling receptors, and by the surrounding extracellular matrix (ECM). The essential role of cell-tissue interactions in guiding organogenesis was identified in experimental embryology studies over a…
Food for thought: How cell adhesion coordinates nutrient sensing by Hellyeh Hamidi et al.
Cell adhesion controls cell survival and proliferation via multiple mechanisms. Rabanal-Ruiz et al. (2021. J. Cell Biol.https://doi.org/10.1083/jcb.202004010) demonstrate that focal adhesions are key signaling hubs for cellular nutrient sensing and signaling.
Mathilde is joining the lab !
Mathilde has joined us as a postdoc from Institut Curie, FR. She is leaving the world of extracellular vesicules to study biomechanics ! How intense ?! Mathilde arrived in Turku during winter time, when there was snow everywhere and ice…
A feed-forward loop between SorLA and HER3 determines heregulin response and neratinib resistance by Hussein Al-Akhrass et al.
Current evidence indicates that resistance to the tyrosine kinase-type cell surface receptor (HER2)-targeted therapies is frequently associated with HER3 and active signaling via HER2-HER3 dimers, particularly in the context of breast cancer. Thus, understanding the response to HER2-HER3 signaling and…