Cancer cell motility supported by oncogene induced autophagy

Tschan group  Prof. Dr. phil. nat. Mario Tschan

We discovered an oncogenic splice variant of the tumor suppressor and transcription factor DMTF1 active in the p53 pathway. We found that this splice variant, DMTF1β, promotes breast cancer cell motility by activating autophagy. 

We are currently unravelling mechanisms how DMTF1β is regulated and how it promotes cancer cell motility by activating autophagy. 

Our aim is to identify tumor types and cellular conditions where common cancer therapies in combination with autophagy inhibition is beneficial to block migration.