I am interested in deciphering the common molecular mechanisms shared between trophoblast and cancer cells. Trophoblast cells share some key similarities with metastatic cancer cells, in particular with regard to cell invasiveness and the capacity to breach basement membranes. During my NGF, I am applying CRISPR/Cas9 genome editing systems to genetically manipulate trophoblast stem cells and organoids and study the role of tumour suppressor genes in regulating trophoblast differentiation and invasiveness.
