Dr Clément Thomas co-editor of 3 volumes in prestigious international book series

• Cytoskeleton and Cancer Progression

Dr Clément Thomas, Group Leader of the Cytoskeleton and Cancer Progression group of the LIH Department of Oncology, recently co-edited 3 volumes on “Actin cytoskeleton in Cancer Progression and Metastasis”, together with Dr Lorenzo Galluzzi from the Weill Cornell Medical College (New York, USA). These are part of the “International Review of Cell and Molecular Biology”, a scientific book series that publishes articles on plant and animal cell biology.

The three volumes provide an overview of the roles of the actin cytoskeleton and some of its key structural regulators, including WASp, Paxillin, Myosin, Testin, L-Plastin and profilin, in central processes underlying cancer progression and metastasis, such as changes in cell morphology and gene expression, acquisition of migratory and invasive capabilities, and evasion from the immune response. Moreover, they offer a wide range of perspectives for basic and translational research and discusses opportunities and challenges for translating knowledge of tumor cell actin cytoskeleton into clinical applications.

Some specific chapters cover aspects such as actin dynamics during tumor cell dissemination, actin cytoskeleton remodeling during cancer cell migration, the role of cytoskeletal mechanics in driving heterogeneity in epithelial ovarian cancer, among others.