Cell biology of tumor cell invasion
Remodeling of the extracellular matrix by tumor cells requires formation of actin-based invadopodia, where the trans-membrane matrix metalloproteinase MT1-MMP accumulates. Our group uses breast tumor cell lines and an intraductal xenograft mouse model to investigate the mechanism underlying MT1-MMP exocytosis during the formation of invadopodia and how this is influenced by the composition and biophysical properties of the extracellular matrix.
Keywords
Tumor cell invasion / matrix metalloproteinase / membrane traffic / exocytosis / cell polarity