QBI presents a seminar with Victoria Sanz-Moreno, Professor at the Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research Centre at the Institute of Cancer Research.

Dr. Sanz-Moreno received a degree in chemistry and later in biochemistry (University of Oviedo, Spain) followed by a PhD in chemical sciences studying Ras-MAPK signalling (University of Cantabria). She then joined Professor Chris Marshall’s lab at The Institute of Cancer Research in London as a Marie Curie Intra-European Postdoctoral Fellow. In 2018, she joined Barts Cancer Institute (Queen Mary University of London) as Professor of Cancer Cell Biology to study how cytoskeletal dynamics in metastatic cancer cells alter the tumour microenvironment. 

In 2023, Dr. Sanz-Moreno's lab moved to the Breast Cancer Now Toby Robins Research Centre at The Institute of Cancer Research. Combining cell biology, OMICs, mouse models, patient material and digital pathology, Victoria’s lab works on understanding how cytoskeletal dynamics in cancer cells control local invasion, dissemination, survival and outgrowth at the secondary site. Her lab is interested in deciphering how metastatic cancer cells interact with their microenvironment while evading anti-cancer therapies while the ultimate goal is to find anti-metastasis therapies. She is passionate about science communication and promoting diversity in science.

Talk Title: Organelles Take Centre Stage: Secretory, Nuclear and Mitochondrial Dynamics in Metastatic Cancer Cells

Cell migration plays a pivotal role in various biological processes including cancer dissemination and successful metastasis, where the role of mechanical signals is increasingly acknowledged. Dr. Sanz-Moreno's talk will focus on the intricate mechanisms through which disseminating cancer cells coordinate actomyosin dynamics together with organelle adaptations in response to the extracellular matrix (ECM). Specifically, the nucleus, mitochondria and secretory machinery emerge as pivotal mediators in this process.

These organelles serve as sensors, translating mechanical stimuli into rapid metabolic alterations that sustain cell migration. Importantly, prolonged exposure to such stimuli can induce transcriptional or epigenetic changes, ultimately enhancing metastatic traits. Deciphering the intricate interplay between ECM properties, organelle adaptations and cytoskeletal dynamics holds promise for the development of innovative anti-metastatic therapeutic strategies.

 Host: Natalia Jura