Cell Division and Cytoskeleton
Current work in the Cell Division and Cytoskeleton group is focused on investigation of molecular mechanisms of chromosomal and cytoskeletal dynamics, whose alterations during the cell cycle promote aneuploidy and metastasis, and consequently facilitate tumorigenesis.
Our Research
Microtubules are key components of the cytoskeleton, enabling intracellular transport and contributing to essential cellular processes such as cell division and migration. They are also important drug targets in cancer therapy, particularly for anticancer agents like vinca alkaloids and taxanes. However, these drugs often face clinical challenges, including side effects like neuropathy and neurotoxicity, and the development of drug resistance. This has led to growing interest in targeting other molecules or molecular properties related to microtubule functions, such as tubulin post-translational modifications (PTMs) and tubulin isotypes, collectively known as the "tubulin code."
Cell Division
Tubulin detyrosination is one of these PTMs that is frequently altered in cancers and is linked to tumor aggressiveness and poor patient prognosis, making it a promising molecular target. Moreover, many motor proteins that interact with tubulin are deregulated in cancer, and inhibitors targeting these proteins are undergoing clinical trials. Given the impact of tubulin PTMs on modulating motor protein activity and their association with cancer, this underexplored area holds significant potential for the development of novel anticancer therapies.
Our research focuses on:
- Mechanisms of chromosome congression and segregation during mitosis
- Regulation of microtubule dynamics
- The impact of tubulin PTMs on motor proteins and their roles in chromosomal and cellular movements
Group Leader: Marin Barisic
Marin Barisic earned his Diploma in Molecular Biology at the University of Zagreb in Croatia, and his PhD in Molecular Cell Biology and Oncology at the Innsbruck Medical University in Austria. After finishing his Postdoc at the Institute for Molecular and Cell Biology in Porto, Portugal, he started his own research group as a Group Leader in the Cell Division and Cytoskeleton lab at the Danish Cancer Institute (DCI) in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Work in the Cell Division & Cytoskeleton lab is based on investigation of molecular mechanisms behind chromosomal and cytoskeletal dynamics - the processes whose aberrations during the cell cycle often facilitate tumorigenesis.
ORCID: 0000-0001-7587-3867
Key Funding
Lundbeck Foundation
Novo Nordisk Foundation
Independent Research Fund Denmark