11.12.2024
Doctoral thesis on the Role of Extracellular Vesicles in Cancer and the Function of Heat Shock Factor 2 in Cellular Stress
M.Sc. Jens Luoto’s doctoral thesis in Cell Biology will be put forth for public defence at the Faculty of Science and Engineering at Åbo Akademi University.
The thesis is entitled Extracellular vesicles and heat shock factor 2: New perspectives on cancer and physiology.
The public defence of the doctoral thesis takes place on Friday 20 December 2024 at 1PM in auditorium Argentum, Aurum, Henrikinkatu 2, Turku. You can also follow the defence online. Docent, Senior Researcher Kirsi Rilla, University of Eastern Finland, will serve as opponent and Professor John Eriksson, Åbo Akademi.
Summary
Extracellular vesicles (EV) play a vital role in intercellular communication, carrying molecules such as proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids. Found in all bodily fluids, EV are involved in various physiological and pathological processes, including immune response, tissue repair, neurodegenerative diseases, and cancer progression. In cancer, EV contribute to tumour invasion and metastasis by remodelling the extracellular matrix, promoting angiogenesis, and modulating the immune response. However, EV are challenging to study due to their biological complexity and the technical demands of isolation and characterization.
Heat shock factors (HSFs), particularly HSF1 and HSF2, are central to cellular stress responses. While HSF1 is known for inducing heat shock proteins in response to proteotoxic stress, HSF2’s functions are less clear, though recent studies highlight its roles in development, differentiation, cellular homeostasis, and cancer.
This thesis investigates EV in cancer and HSF2’s role in cellular stress. In the first study, we assessed cancer cell invasion’s impact on EV, observing significant changes in EV quantity, surface charge, and protein content. Unique EV proteins were identified at different tumour development stages, linked to tumour growth and invasion.
The second study highlights HSF2’s role during proteotoxic stress induced by bortezomib. Using HSF2 knockout cell lines and RNA sequencing, we found that HSF2 regulates several cadherins, crucial for cell survival under stress. The third study presents the first interactome analysis of HSF2 in mouse testes and human prostate cancer PC3 cells, confirming novel interactions between HSF2 and cell adhesion proteins, particularly TLN1.
In summary, these studies provide new insights into cancer progression mechanisms and stress responses, suggesting potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets for cancer treatment.
Jens Luoto can be reached by email jens.luoto@abo.fi.
The doctoral thesis can be read online through the Doria publication archive.
Click here for a press photo of the doctoral student.
Instructions for following the doctoral defence remotely:
To follow the defence, you need the Zoom software or the Google Chrome browser. You do not need to create a Zoom account to follow the defence. If you install the application, you participate by clicking on the meeting link, after which you should allow the link to open in the Zoom app.