Caveolin-1: A double-edged sword in the fight against cancer metastasis

Professor Andrew Quest and his team at the Laboratory of Cellular Communication, University of Chile, have dedicated the last 25 years to uncovering the role of a protein called caveolin-1

Caveolin-1, or CAV1, has a highly unusual ability to promote cancer metastasis or suppress it, depending on the cancer type and stage

The researchers uncovered the underlying mechanisms of this protein and its interactions with other enzymes and molecular signalling pathways in cancer growth and cancer-fighting cell death

They found that phosphorylation of CAV1 promotes cancer metastasis, therefore inhibiting this process can help in the treatment of metastatic cancer

Professor Andrew Quest and his team at the University of Chile have spent the last 25 years investigating the role of a protein called caveolin-1 (CAV1). CAV1 appears to have the unusual ability to act as both a tumour suppressor and an oncogene. The researchers have significantly improved our understanding of the role that CAV1 plays in different forms of cancers such as melanoma, breast, and colon cancer – rethinking conventional wisdom on cancer development in the process.

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