Get to know: Dr. Pavlos Missios

90% of all cancer-related deaths are due to metastases [1] and further research on preventing metastases is therefore urgently needed. Importantly, to date there is no treatment that effectively hinders invasion and metastasizing of the tumor. Pavlos Missios' group is using high-throughput sequencing to investigate the influence of posttranscriptional gene regulation through microRNA and RNA-binding proteins on the development of metastases [1]. As such, Pavlos Missios is a clinician scientist performing research in the area of RNA transcription and translation. The aim is to answer the question of what happens within the tumor cell and in metastatic niches. For this, Pavlos Missios and his group have investigated the LIN28B gene that is associated with aggressive malignancy and poor survival. LIN28B is an oncofetal protein that promotes stemness, oncogenesis and contributes to reprogramming of cellular metabolism [2]. LIN28B binds to MYCN-induced transcripts of the ribosomal apparatus to promote their polysome enrichment and translation [2]. Thus, LIN28B cooperates with MYCN to couple oncogenic transcription with enhanced translation to increase metastatic fitness. Pavlos Missios and his group are working with in-vitro and in-vivo models. We wish Pavlos Missios and his lab much success for their research within iFIT!

[1] https://www.medizin.uni-tuebingen.de/de/das-klinikum/einrichtungen/kliniken/medizinische-klinik/innere-medizin-1/forschung/ptgr-in-metastasen 

[2] Missios P, da Rocha EL, Pearson DS, Philipp J, Aleman MM, Pirouz M, et al. 2021, J. Clin. Invest.