Arresting Signal Transduction of EphA4, an Axon Guidance Molecule, Induces Paxillin-Mediated Intercellular Inhibition of Late-Stage Cancer Metastasis: Enhanced by AI for Novel Therapeutic Modalities
Keefer Lin
Chattahoochee High School, 5230 Taylor Rd, Johns Creek, GA, United States
Publication date: December 25, 2024
Chattahoochee High School, 5230 Taylor Rd, Johns Creek, GA, United States
Publication date: December 25, 2024
DOI: http://doi.org/10.34614/JIYRC202427
ABSTRACT
The tumor microenvironment (TME) is now exceedingly important due to the variability of cancer, and more than ever it is important to gain a holistic view of the effectors of cancer. The crosstalk between the nervous system and cancer cells holds great significance, since cancer cell nerve infiltration, known as perineural invasion (PNI), is associated with poor prognosis and increased aggression of cancer cells. EphA4 is an axon guidance molecule, physiologically responsible for determining routes of limb innervation in early neurodevelopmental pathways, and as a result could be linked to the same pathways that facilitate metastasis through perineural invasion. This study discovers an intercellular communication facilitated by the axon guidance molecule EphA4 that when inhibited, leads to a decrease in expression for the paxillin-FAK cell adhesion complex, creating a potential therapeutic modality, with a key focus on exploration through quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) modeling, for treating late-stage cancer metastasis.
The tumor microenvironment (TME) is now exceedingly important due to the variability of cancer, and more than ever it is important to gain a holistic view of the effectors of cancer. The crosstalk between the nervous system and cancer cells holds great significance, since cancer cell nerve infiltration, known as perineural invasion (PNI), is associated with poor prognosis and increased aggression of cancer cells. EphA4 is an axon guidance molecule, physiologically responsible for determining routes of limb innervation in early neurodevelopmental pathways, and as a result could be linked to the same pathways that facilitate metastasis through perineural invasion. This study discovers an intercellular communication facilitated by the axon guidance molecule EphA4 that when inhibited, leads to a decrease in expression for the paxillin-FAK cell adhesion complex, creating a potential therapeutic modality, with a key focus on exploration through quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) modeling, for treating late-stage cancer metastasis.
