Approximately 90% of cancer-related mortality is caused by the invasive and metastatic activities of malignant cells, and the work of my research group mostly focuses on the molecular mechanisms that determine cancer invasiveness and metastasis. In particular, our research addresses the role of the Eph/ephrin system. Eph receptors form the largest family of receptor tyrosine kinases and are divided into EphA (EphA1-10) and EphB (EphB1-6) subfamilies. EphA receptors interact mostly with ligands of the ephrin-A group (ephrin-A1-6), while EphBs are activated by ephrin-B ligands (ephrin-B1-3). Although initially identified as Eph ligands, ephrins also function as active receptors and initiate signaling in their host cells. Both Ephs and ephrins control cytoskeleton and integrin activity, which allows them to regulate cell adhesion and migration. Based on their ability to control attachment and migration Ephs and ephrins are expected to play an important role in metastasis, however, their role in this process is only started to be assessed
