Aron Parekh

Probing cancer cell invasion

The rigidity of the extracellular matrix that surrounds cells impacts the contractile and invasive properties of head and neck cancer cells.

ROCKs and cancer invasion

The rigidity of the microenvironment around cancer cells drives invasive behavior through distinct ROCK signaling pathways, which could guide the development of specific anti-invasive therapies.

Grant spurs research into how cancer cells spread

Aron Parekh, Ph.D., assistant professor of Otolaryngology, has received a four-year, $790,000 Research Scholar Grant from the American Cancer Society to further his research into the mechanical and biological properties of cancer cells and the methods by which they leave the initial tumor and spread or metastasize to other parts of the body.

Cellular forces aid tumor invasion

The contractile machinery inside tumor cells increases invasive properties, suggesting it might be a good target to inhibit cancer cell spread.