Recent groundbreaking work has highlighted the relationship between the levels of profilin and cancer aggressiveness. There is strong evidence that profilin is involved in cell migration and metastasis, making this protein an outstanding therapeutic target in the fight against cancer and in particular breast cancer. Some exciting possible outcomes of our research is that by understanding the molecular mechanism underlying the function of profilin in cancer, we will discover new ways to prevent the development of cancer as well as new potential targets for drug development. To achieve these goals, we are combining many different approaches including biochemistry, structural biology, cell biology and biophysics. We are also taking advantage of cutting-edge developments in molecular imaging and image analysis which not only provides spatial but dynamic information.

Understanding the dynamics of the interactions between molecules that alter the tumorigenicity of cancer cells will provide insights into the mechanisms of cancer development, leading to the generation of more efficient and more cost-effective drugs. Targeted therapies with low systemic toxicity are urgently needed for killing cancer cells, as opposed to current mainstream therapies that are typically non-specific and highly toxic. The key to developing targeted therapies that prevent cancer formation is understanding the basic pathobiology of the target molecules, and this is the primary aim of our research.

Recent work highlighted the relationship between profilin (Pfn1) levels and breast cancer through its interaction with phosphatidylinositides (PIs) a membrane lipid. To date, little is known about the molecular interaction between Pfn1 and the PIs in the cell membrane.