Speaker: Prof. Elisabetta Rovida, Molecular Oncology & Cell Signalling. Associate Professor University of Florence.

Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signalling is frequently dysregulated in cancer and is of considerable interest as a therapeutic target. Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and cholangiocarcinoma (CCA), the two main primary liver malignancies, remain difficult to treat, making the identification of additional therapeutic targets a pressing need. This seminar will discuss current approaches to targeting MAPK signalling in liver tumours and present our group’s research on the role of ERK5 in HCC and CCA.
Our work has identified a key role for the ERK5 pathway in HCC development and growth, as well as in maintaining the malignant phenotype of CCA cells through interactions with the tumour microenvironment. Furthermore, we are investigating how ERK5 cross-talks with other pathways that support cancer cell survival and proliferation to identify combination treatments that may prevent resistance mechanisms. In HCC cells, ERK5 inhibition is associated with compensatory upregulation of EGFR signalling, while studies in intrahepatic CCA point to a crucial role for ERK5 in the response to hypoxia. Together, these findings suggest that targeting ERK5, either as a monotherapy or in combination with other pathway inhibitors, may expand the therapeutic options
for liver cancer.

Host: Dr. José Miguel Lizcano de Vega, Head of group Protein kinases in cancer research (VHIR)