Group Leader/s

Head of lab
 

intro

Our group studies regulatory mechanisms of key signalling switches controlling growth and adhesion signals, which regulate important cellular processes such as cell proliferation, migration and survival. In cancer these signals are responsible for triggering tumour invasion and metastasis. We use structural techniques, such as X-ray crystallography and electron microscopy, in combination with biochemical and functional studies to understand at atomic level how specific growth and adhesion signals are regulated and to rationalise how oncogenic events result in their deregulation. The structural understanding allows us to design potential anti-cancer therapeutics that interfere with oncogenic deregulation. We use innovative approaches that directly target regulatory mechanisms that we identify. This approach can potentially result in highly selective allosteric inhibitors for cancer therapy with a greatly improved toxicity profile. Our projects focus on growth and adhesion signalling systems that interact and are regulated by specific lipids in the plasma membrane. Specifically, we pursue the following questions: (i) How are signals in focal adhesion complexes triggered upon assembly of the complex on the plasma membrane? (ii) Can we use insights from (i), to develop allosteric inhibitors that highly selectively block focal adhesion signals and can prevent tumour invasion and metastasis?  (iii) How are the levels of specific membrane lipids regulated to control growth and adhesion signals?

 

Members

Staff Scientists
Daniel Lietha
Predoctoral Students
Maria Pilar Lopez Navajas
 
 

Funding

MICINN, PID2021-127058NB-I00 (2022-2025), PI: D. Lietha

MCIU, RTI2018-099318-B-I00 (2019-2021), PI: D. Lietha

MINECO, BFU2016-77665-R (2017-2019), PI: D.Lietha

Worldwide Cancer Research, 15-1177 (2015-2018), PI: D. Lietha

Volkswagen Foundation, 86 416-1 (2014-2015), PI: H.E. Gaub (LMU, Germany)

CAM, S2010/BMD-2457 (2012-2016), PI: F. Gago (UAH)

MICINN, BFU2010-15923 (2011-2013), PI: D. Lietha

 

 

 

More info

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