Lucia R. Languino

Dr. Lucia R. Languino is a Professor in the Department of Pharmacology, Physiology, & Cancer Biology at the College of Life Sciences, where she also serves as Director of the Genetics, Genomics & Cancer Biology PhD Program. Her laboratory focuses on molecular mechanisms driving cancer progression.

Research Interests:
Dr. Languino investigates signaling pathways in prostate cancer metastasis, with emphasis on:

• Cell adhesion receptor dynamics in cancer phenotypes
• Cross-talk between extracellular matrix proteins and growth factor receptors
• Integrin-mediated signal transduction affecting cell survival/migration
• Molecular characterization of metastatic processes

Her work spans in vitro and in vivo models to study tumor microenvironments.

Recent Publications:
Her recent articles focus on integrin functions in extracellular vesicles (αVβ3, αVβ6), cancer cell communication, and therapeutic targeting in neuroendocrine prostate cancer. Key themes include extracellular vesicle biology, angiogenesis regulation, and radiation response in tumor progression.