Two prominent researchers from the USA and Japan will deliver lectures on 14 of May.

Prof. Rytis Prekeris from University of Colorado (the USA) will give a lecture „How to Make Invadopodia: the role of polarized membrane transport and cytoskeleton dynamics during cancer cell migration and metastasis” at 1 pm (Room R401). 

Abstract of the lecture:

Cytoskeleton and polarized membrane transport is now well-established as a key regulators of many cellular functions, including cell polarization and migration. However, despite recent advances in deciphering molecular machinery governing cell migration, we still know very little how changes in cytoskeleton dynamics and polarized protein targeting is coordinated. In this talk prof. R. Prekeris will present most recent findings identifying novel key regulators of cell migration through extracellular matrix during development and cancerogenesis. 

Prof. Tatsuhiro Shibata from University of Tokyo (Japan) will talk about mutational processes in hepatobiliary cancers at 2.15 pm (Room R402).

Abstract of the lecture:

Somatic mutations in the cancer genome are generated by multiple carcinogenic causes that challenge DNA replication / repair fidelity. Interestingly and importantly every mutagenic factors or processes leave unique marks on the DNA probably due to their own physical characteristics that are called mutational signatures.

Recent international collaborative study uncovered more than 20 distinctive signatures in human cancers, and also found that cancer types preferentially occur in Asian area, such as liver and gastric cancers, harbored more than 10 mutational signatures, suggesting the existence of complex carcinogenic / epidemiological factors. In this presentation prof. T. Shibata will report de-coding of mutational signatures and their associations with clinical / biological / epigenetic features in hepatobiliary cancers that are frequent in Japan and other Asian countries.