EMBO Member
Pier Paolo Di Fiore
EMBO 1998
European Institute of Oncology (IEO), Milano, Italy
Endocytosis, stem cells and cancer
We are studying the mechanisms of signal transduction by tyrosine kinase receptors in tumors and the role of endocytosis in this process. More recently, we linked endocytosis to cancer and stem cells by demonstrating that loss of expression of the endocytic protein Numb is causal in breast tumorigenesis. This discovery has driven a translational research effort to develop practical applications to cancer treatment based on stem cell biology.
Keywords
Tyrosine kinase receptors / endocytosis / stem cells / breast cancer / Numb / asymmetric cell division