Overview
Topic status: We're looking for students to study this topic.
Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is an important process during embryonic development, cancer dissemination and wound healing. In each of these events, cells are required to migrate from one location to another. In order to achieve this, the cell must acquire the capacity to infiltrate surrounding tissue and to ultimately migrate to a distinct site. An overt feature of this process is a change of cell morphology from a sedentary type to one that is facilitates migration in the extracellular matrix and settlement in an area involved in tissue growth and repair (or cancer metastasis). EMT is characterized by loss of cell adhesion, repression of E-cadherin, and increased cell mobility.
Currently, there is no mathematical model to describe the EMT, and most biological research focuses on intracellular signalling without directly considering clinically relevant tissue-scale mechanisms. This project unites new experimental and modelling approaches that couple chemical signalling pathways with changes in cell-to-cell adhesion. This framework links EMT signalling to tissue-scale observations in a clinically relevant manner that will guide future research into relevant therapies.
This project will utilise in vitro approaches to collect experimental data during the wound healing process in human skin. The student will cultivate continuous cell lines and cells isolated from donated skin tissue (discarded after surgical procedures). The student will learn to cultivate cell lines in vitro and assay motile function using well-established in vitro assays of cell migration and repair. Cellular parameters will be recorded using time-lapse and direct observation techniques; in particular, extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) and Wnt/catenin signalling pathways and the transcriptional repressors Snail and Slug, known to lead to the development of EMT. A variety of molecular approaches (e.g. transfection) will be applied to manipulate Snail and Slug and thus specific affects on EMT and cell migration. These data will be applied to develop new mathematical models of the EMT process.
The student will be part of a multi-disciplinary team examining wider aspects of wound healing process, cell physiology and applied mathematics. The project will provide opportunities to acquire advanced skills in cell biology, biochemistry and applied mathematics.
- Study level
- Honours
- Supervisors
- QUT
- Organisational unit
Science and Engineering Faculty
- Research area
- Contact
- Please contact the supervisor.
Associate Professor David Leavesley
Dr Matthew Simpson
