FUNCTIONAL ANALYSIS OF IGF-BINDING PROTEIN-2 MOLECULAR INTERACTIONS IN EARLY DEVELOPMENT AND DISEASE

早期发育涉及细胞和器官生长的复杂调控。细胞迁移和侵袭是上皮-间质转化（EMT）的重要组成部分，对早期发育、损伤修复和癌症至关重要。与这些事件共同的是一种高表达的蛋白质，胰岛素样生长因子结合蛋白2 (IGFBP-2)，它在调节细胞迁移和侵袭过程中发挥关键作用。IGFBP-2细胞调控的潜在机制是本提案的主要焦点，该提案汇集了四个主要小组，专注于早期发育，神经损伤修复和癌症生物学。我们将使用一系列体外和体内方法来确定这种关键蛋白质的潜在作用机制。这个项目有可能在发育、修复和癌症方面指出新的治疗方式。

Early development involves complex regulation of cell and organ growth. Cell migration and invasion are critical components of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) essential for early developmental, as well as injury repair and cancer. Common to these events is a highly expressed protein, insulin-like growth factor binding protein-2 (IGFBP-2), which appears to play a critical role in regulating the processes of cell migration and invasion. The underlying mechanisms of cellular regulation by IGFBP-2 are major focus of this proposal, which brings together four major groups focussed on early development, neural injury repair, and cancer biology. We will use a range of in vitro and in vivo approaches to determine the underlying mechanisms of action of this critical protein. This project has the potential to point to novel therapeutic modalities in development, repair and cancer.