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RASSF8: New tumor suppressor could stop cancer movement!
Research at the University of Marburg discovers tumor suppressor RASSF8 as a key to cell migration and adhesion, with connections to cancer treatments.
RASSF8: New tumor suppressor could stop cancer movement!
A research team at the Philipps University of Marburg identified RASSF8 as a central regulator of collective cell migration and cell-cell adhesion. These findings were published on June 5, 2025 and could have significant implications for the fields of cancer research and regenerative medicine.
The project was led by Prof. Dr. Sven Bogdan, whose team showed in a Drosophila model that RASSF8 has a dual function. On the one hand, it controls the movement of invasive cell groups and, on the other hand, it ensures their structural cohesion. The influence of RASSF8 on collective cell movements is crucial, as such movements are of great importance for embryonic development, wound healing and also the invasion of cancer cells.
Discovery of the molecular function of RASSF8
Although RASSF8 was previously known as a marker in tumors, its molecular function remained unclear for a long time. The current study also identified the interactions of RASSF8 with the actin regulator WAVE and with the cell adhesion molecules echinoid and coracle. These interactions demonstrate that RASSF8 functions as a molecular scaffold that coordinates cell movement and cell adhesion.
The results suggest that RASSF8 is differentially activated in epithelial tumor types, including lung carcinomas. This makes it a potential diagnostic and prognostic biomarker. In addition, RASSF8 could offer starting points for novel therapeutic strategies that could influence cell migration in invasive tumors.
Future research approaches
The study combined genetic tools with high-resolution confocal microscopy, resulting in a deep insight into the role of RASSF8. Future international collaborations are planned to further clarify the molecular function of RASSF8 in human cells.
The relevance of tumor suppressor genes is underlined by various research. For example, in an article on Nature highlighted the identification of RASSF8 as a potential tumor suppressor gene for lung cancer. This complements previous findings and shows that the role of such genes is complex.
The RASSF8 gene and its related tumor suppressor genes such as RASSF1A are crucial for the control of cell migration and microtubule dynamics, as well as by DocCheck is presented. Protein interactions mediated by RASSF1A highlight the complexity of signaling pathways within tumor cells and their impact on tumor growth and metastasis.