Science

Nelson Dusetti

May 17, 2025, 10:22

Nelson Dusetti Shared New Article on E-cadherin’s Function in Pancreatic Cancer Cell Invasion

Nelson Dusetti, Head of the Translational Research and Innovative Therapies Department at the Cancer Research Centre of Marseille (CRCM), shared a post on LinkedIn about recent paper he and his colleagues authored:

“Our latest article has just been published in the Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine: “E-Cadherin is a Structuring Component of Invadopodia in Pancreatic Cancer”

This work uncovers a surprising role for E-cadherin, typically known for maintaining epithelial adhesion, as a key structural component of invadopodia, the membrane protrusions that enable pancreatic cancer cells to invade and degrade the extracellular matrix.

Using a combination of patient-derived primary cultures, xenografts, proteomics, and advanced imaging, we show that E-cadherin is not only retained in invasive hybrid E/M cells, but actively recycled to invadopodia, where it cooperates with MT1-MMP, Actin and Arp3 to promote local degradation and invasion.

This study reflects our team’s longstanding efforts at the CRCM – Cancer Research Center of Marseille / Paoli-Calmettes Institute to dissect the molecular mechanisms of aggressiveness and therapeutic resistance in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), with a particular focus on epithelial, mesenchymal plasticity and patient-derived models.

Special thanks to Veronique RIGOT, Frédéric André, Aurélie Dobric, Françoise Silvy, and the entire PaCaTeam for this collaboration.
Funded by National Cancer Institute, League Against Cancer, Fondation de France, Canceropôle Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur, A*MIDEX, and INSERM.”

Title: E-Cadherin Is a Structuring Component of Invadopodia in Pancreatic Cancer

Journal: Journal of Cellular and Molecular Medicine

Authors: Aurélie Dobric, Sébastien Germain, Françoise Silvy, Rénaté Bonier, Stéphane Audebert, Luc Camoin, Nelson Dusetti, Philippe Soubeyran, Juan Iovanna, Véronique Rigot, Frédéric André

Read Full Article.

E-cadherin