BIO

Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen (PCNA) is an essential protein, that plays a significant role in DNA replication and repair, DNA metabolic processes, and cell survival. In cancer cells, PCNA is overexpressed and is associated with increased proliferation. Typically, PCNA is found in the cell nucleus but recently was suggested to be expressed also on the membrane of EVs (extracellular vesicles) secreted by lung cancer cells. The goal of my project is to investigate the uptake and effect of EVs expressing PCNA on recipient cells, attempting to discover inhibition, apoptosis, or recruitment, through uptake.