Lucia Languino,
Professor of Cancer Biology,
Thomas Jefferson University
Dr. Languino investigates the role of cell adhesion receptors in phenotypic changes of prostate cancer cells. A strong research focus is being devoted to the study of the cross-talk between cell adhesion molecules, extracellular matrix proteins and growth factor receptors in vitro and in vivo systems and how this cross-talk affects intracellular signal transduction, cell survival, cell migration and cell division. Dr. Languino's research interests also focus on the cellular and molecular characterization of the metastatic process of prostate cancer with particular emphasis on the signals directing distant localization of prostate cancer cells
Exosomes: Novel Opportunities for the Diagnosis and Therapy of Cancer
Wednesday, 27 March 2019 at 11:15
Add to Calendar ▼2019-03-27 11:15:002019-03-27 12:15:00Europe/LondonExosomes: Novel Opportunities for the Diagnosis and Therapy of CancerLiquid Biopsies 2019 in Coronado Island, CaliforniaCoronado Island, CaliforniaSELECTBIOenquiries@selectbiosciences.com
Our studies have revealed a role for Integrins in mediating
extracellular vesicle (EV) functions. We have demonstrated a cross-talk
between prostate cancer cells and monocytes that promotes
pro-tumorigenic M2 polarization. We have shown that this cross-talk is
mediated by the alphavß6 integrin in EVs and have suggested that
inhibition of this integrin and its downstream effectors might offer a
novel immune – based therapeutic strategy in prostate cancer. We also
demonstrate that the EVs circulating in plasma from prostate cancer
patients contain higher levels of a different integrin, alphavß3, and
CD9 as compared to plasma EVs from age-matched subjects who are not
affected by cancer. We show that the EVs present in plasma from
prostate cancer patients contain higher levels of alphavß3 and CD9 as
compared to plasma EVs from age-matched subjects who are not affected by
cancer. Furthermore, using PSMA antibody-bead mediated immunocapture,
we show that the alphavß3 integrin is expressed in a subset of EVs
characterized by PSMA, CD9, CD63, and an epithelial-specific marker,
Trop-2. Our results suggest that detecting alphavß3 integrin in
prostate cancer patient EVs could be a clinically useful and
non-invasive biomarker to follow prostate cancer progression.