Upon completion of this course, participants should:

• Be familiar with central determinants and outcomes of cell migration, including actin dynamics and intracellular shape generation and mechanotransduction; integrin adhesion receptors; the role of proteases in tissue degradation and remodelling during cancer invasion; principles of collective invasion in vitro and in vivo; high-content analysis of immune cell function, particularly the effector function of cytotoxic T lyphocytes and Natural Killer cells towards tumor cells; and how cell migration and invasion affect cell signalling and response to therapy, here the susceptibility of cancer cells to chemo- and radiation therapy.

• Be able to understand how the complex and adaptive physicochemical process of cell migration is regulated by intrinsic and extrinsic factors, including the extracellular matrix (dimension, density, stiffness and orientation) and cell determinants (cell-cell and cell-matrix adhesion, cytoskeletal polarity and stiffness, and pericellular proteolysis).

• Be able to explain how different types of cell migration contribute to different cell functions, including tissue homeostasis, immune surveillance and cancer).

• Appreciate the mechanisms of immune exclusion from tumors and molecular strategies to enhance immune cell function during anti-cancer immunotherapy (CTL, NK, DC).

This course focuses on MMD Theme: Metabolism, Transport and Motion and is scheduled from Monday 3 April till Friday 7 April 2017.

Masterclasses are unique components of the Master's programme Molecular Mechanisms of Disease and are dedicated to topics within the main themes of the programme and the RIMLS. In these 1-week intensive courses, in-depth knowledge is gained on a specific "hot" research topic. Topics are changed every year to keep up-to-date with research on the cutting edge of science. During these courses, distinguished researchers from international partner universities present the latest research developments in their field, introducing new research topics and challenging questions. Students are expected to participate actively by preparing questions for the international guest lecturers, presenting literature meetings and chairing the seminars that the lecturers present to the whole research institute.

Summary 

Cell adhesion and migration are fundamental processes required in virtually every process in the multicellular organism. They provide developmental cohesion and shape of tissues and organs, cell-matrix interactions during tissue repair, regeneration and immune effector function, as well as, in deregulated form, cancer invasion and metastasis. In line with its functional diversity, cell migration consists of different morphological and molecular types, including individual-cell (amoeboid, mesenchymal) and collective movements. Consequently, distinct types of cell movement contribute to distinct cell functions: collective movement is required to complex tissue formation, such as glands and epithelia; mesenchymal migration underlies the formation and maintenance of extracellular matrix scaffolds. Lastly, amoeboid movement underlies rapid cell distribution in the body, including trafficking with the blood and passage through interstitial tissues, which underlie stem cell redistribution and immune cell trafficking and function.

This Master class aims to deliver in-depth understanding on the molecular mechanisms underlying each migration mode, its adaptation during molecular challenge and its roles in health and disease, with emphasis on cancer invasion and metastasis, immune cell surveillance and immunotherapy of cancer disease, including dendritic cells, cytotoxic T cells and NK cells. This Master Class will further emphasize tools and technologies to visualize cell movement in vitro (3D tissue culture; different microscopical approaches) and in vivo (intravital microscopy). Lastly, we will address how cell migration can be therapeutically targeted to interfere with disease processes.