NFkB and YAP are Important for CXCR4-SDF-1 Mediated Cell Migration

Science Center, Bent Corridor

Metastasis is the movement of cancer cells from one area of the body, specifically an organ, to another. About 90% of all deaths due to cancer are the result of metastasis (Kucia, 2004). With the goal of finding new drug targets, studies have been conducted to discover new molecular pathways that control metastasis. Fundamentally, cancer cell migration is mediated by chemokines (Balkwill, 2004). Chemokines, signaling proteins secreted by various cells that bind to G-protein coupled-receptors on cancer cells, were first discovered in the late 1900s (Rollins, 1997). They have since been shown to be heavily involved with cell migration in the context of both health and disease. Certain receptors, such as CXCR4, are responsible for governing cellular migration to certain chemokine signals like SDF-1 (stromal-derived-factor-1). It has been anticipated that further treatment for cancer will involve targeting CXCR4 receptors to block systemic cancer spread (Zlotnik, 2011). In this project, we explore CXCR4-mediated migration in HeLa cells and find that mRNA transcription is important in regulating this process. We further find that two proteins, NFkB and YAP, are necessary for efficient migration.