The role of RNA Binding Proteins (RBPs) in breast cancer progression and metastasis

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Metastasis is the process by which cancer spreads through the body and colonises distant, sometimes vital, organs and tissues. It is estimated that more than 90% of all cancer related mortalities are due to metastasis. In breast cancer in particular, despite great advances in detection and treatment of the disease over the past decades, related mortality rates have remained high due to recurrence of cancer as metastases in secondary organs and tissues, which often happens several years after the initial diagnosis and treatment. Importantly, no therapies are currently available for breast cancer patients to prevent the spread of cancer within the body.To metastasise, cancer cells must acquire the capacity to invade into their surroundings, move through tissues and vasculature, and colonise distant sites in the body. This requires activation of cellular pathways that promote cell movement. While much has been revealed on molecular machineries that mediate cell movement, little is known about regulators of movement which become abhorrently activated during metastasis. Recent works by me and other have revealed that an unexpected group of cellular proteins, called RNA Binding Proteins (RBPs), can promote cancer cell movement and invasion, ultimately leading to metastasis. However, it is unclear how different RBPs function to promote the movement of cancer cells, and more importantly, whether they could be targeted to tackle metastasis.My research aims to reveal which RBPs are involved in regulating different aspects of cancer cell movement, cancer invasion, and ultimately metastasis in breast cancer. I will use cutting edge methodologies that I have been developing and using during my previous work, to systematically assess which RBPs are linked to the movement and metastasis of breast cancer cells. I will then assess how these RBPs are promoting movement and metastasis at the molecular level. Ultimately, such molecular level understanding of the processes that control cancer cell movement and metastasis may be useful for designing novel drugs to intervene in the metastatic process.