Cellular plasticity
Treatment resistance and metastasis depend on cellular plasticity. In this process the cancer cells switch from a non-motile and well-differentiated phenotype to a migratory and de-differentiated phenotype. We are investigating the intrinsic and extrinsic factors/mechanisms involved in such cellular plasticity aiming to identify molecular nodes that can be utilized as targets for anti-cancer treatment. The project group headed by Prof Kristin Austlid Taskén is studying neuronal differentiation of prostate cancer, while the Lina Prasmickaite project group is focusing on phenotype switching in breast cancer and melanomas.