The role of maspin on EGF induced cell migration

• Grant number: 12/20746-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: February 01, 2013
• End date: July 31, 2013
• Field of knowledge: Biological Sciences - Morphology - Cytology and Cell Biology
• Principal Investigator: Nathalie Cella
• Grantee: Victoria Genovez Soares
• Host Institution: Instituto de Ciências Biomédicas (ICB). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Cell migration is a vital process for most organisms because it is related to various physiological functions such as tissue organization, wound healing, and homeostasis. In unicellular organisms, it is an essential process for displacement, food capture, and defense. Alterations in migration regulatory pathways can trigger a number of diseases such as metastatic tumors. This process is regulated by various factors such as dynamic adhesion mediated by integrins, extra-and intracellular stimuli, polarization, and cell type. The EGF pathway (epidermal growth factor) regulates, among other processes, cell migration. Likewise, maspin, a protein of the serpin family, regulates many processes essential to the cell, including migration. This protein is transcribed from a tumor suppressor gene and it is essential during embryogenesis as well, so it is extremely important to elucidate its mechanism of action and regulation. Such mechanisms are poorly described in the literature, but it is known that the presence or overexpression of maspin results in the inhibition of migration in many cell types. Preliminary data from our laboratory suggest that maspin is a component of the EGF pathway. Keeping that in view, the objective of this project is to investigate the role of maspin in the process of cell migration induced by EGF. Consequently, this study could provide information for the development of new therapeutic targets against metastatic tumors.(AU)