This textbook gives an insight into the importance of cell migration in health during development, wound healing and immune responses as well as in disease with particular focus on cancer. The reader will learn about the different ways cells migrate to allow cellular changes during development to occur, as well as responses to injury and threat by foreign invaders. Cell migration is a driver of invasion and ultimately metastasis in cancer and as such we will give examples from highly aggressive cancer such as brain tumours. The book also includes an introduction to mathematical modelling to predict cell migration, information on the development of software for analysis of data generated in 2D and 3D as well as recent developments in the investigations into cell migration using 3D bioprinting.
This textbook will be a great learning tool for advanced undergraduate students and Master students with the relevant science degrees such as in cell biology, developmental biology, cancer research, and tumour biology.
Dr. Anke Brüning-Richardson is a senior lecturer in Biomedicine and leader of the brain tumour research group at the University of Huddersfield, United Kingdom. After working for several years in the veterinary field, which led to the development of a rapid chromatographic strip test for the pen-side diagnosis of rinderpest virus, she continued her research in the medical field with her main focus on targeting cell migration in highly aggressive cancers such as brain tumours to improve patient survival. This led to the discovery of specific migrastatic inhibitors and their characterisation, which have potential as complementary chemotherapeutic drugs for enhanced treatment options in cancer patients. Anke is also interested in improving diagnosis to allow early detection of recurring brain tumours leading to the identification of potential liquid biomarkers. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her family and cats.
Dr. Sabine Knipp recently moved as a bio-medical imaging specialist to the imaging facility within the medical faculty at Johannes Kepler University Linz in Austria. She is a cell- and developmental biologist by training and acquired experience in several model organisms, including invertebrates. Her research focus was originally on the contribution of cell migration to neuronal development, trying to decipher the involved signal transduction pathways, more recently she also turned her focus on cancer cell migration. While exploiting a number of different methods, a strong emphasis has always been on microscopic image-based evidence. As a result she gained a profound expertise in intracellular markers, signalling pathways, and cellular behaviour during cell migration, for instance on nitric oxide/carbon monoxide – cGMP signalling network.
Out of the lab, Sabine likes to spend time cultivating as many plant species as possible and is a keen photographer.
