Rida Anjum Sandhu
Crosstalk between Collagen XII and Collagen I to create a pro-invasive microenvironment for metastasis
Crosstalk between Collagen XII and Collagen I to create a pro-invasive microenvironment for metastasis
Metastasis is the primary cause of breast cancer mortality. In order to prevent cancer metastasis, it is crucial to understand how the metastasis process is controlled and to pinpoint suitable targets for effective treatments. Focusing on Collagen I and Collagen XII which is the largest member of the collagen family known as fibril-associated collagen with interrupted triple helices (FACIT), and is famous for binding with collagen I. Collagen XII controls the organization of collagen I and subsequently aids in the biomechanics of the tissue to promote metastasis, targeting the collagen I/collagen XII spatial organization and their potential involvement in the tumor microenvironment to promote metastasis. The rationale of the study is to analyze gene expression of selected genes in tumors to identify their relation to the metastatic potential of tumors, and understanding the role of Collagen I and XII will help in designing therapeutic targets to counter metastasis in breast cancer patients.