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FUGE-Funksjonell genomforskn.i Norg

Functional studies of S100A4 - A Calcium-binding Protein with Metastasis-promoting Capacity

Awarded: NOK 7.3 mill.

The calcium-binding protein S100A4 has convincingly been linked to the metastatic process, butt he exact mechanism of action is still unknown. The main purpose of the project is to study the molecular mechanisms behind some of the biological functions th at have been suggested tor the protein, and investigate how these functions might have impact on the metastatic phenotype. Obtained results show that the protein exists both in the extracellular space, in cytoplasm and also in the nucleus of tumor cells. Our hypothesis is that the protein might have different functions depending on factors like cell system, localization and availability of interacting protein partners, topics that will be investigated in the suggested project. We will focus our work on studies of two observed phenomena: impact of secreted S100A4 on induction of invasion, as well as certain types of apoptosis, and S100A4-DNA-protein interactions and possible involment in transcriptional regulation. Cancer metastasis is a complex process and knowledge about how to prevent cancer metastasis is one of the most challenging tasks in cancer research. Functional studies of involved gene products are of fundamental importance for the understanding of the biological mechanisms causing metastats is formation, and further development of new therapeutic strategies.

Funding scheme:

FUGE-Funksjonell genomforskn.i Norg