The ability of cells to move in the body is a crucial feature of multicellular life. Cell motility contributes to embryonic development and, in adults, to the immune response and wound healing. Cell movement is also implicated in several human diseases, including inflammation and cancer. To migrate, cells need to explore and sense their environment composed of other cells and the extracellular matrix. To do this, they use cellular projections, such as filopodia. Filopodia are finger-like structures and act as both cellular “legs” and cellular “antennas”. In particular, cancer cells rely on these structures to invade through the body and form metastatic lesions. Despite the broad biological importance of filopodia, their function and composition are still poorly understood. The aim of this proposal is to gain fundamental insight into how filopodia work and how they are used by cancer cells to disseminate through the body.

2021

2026