Lena Svensson

One of the most important functions of a cell is the ability to reorganize the cytoskeleton to change shape, transport proteins, enable intercellular communication and propel the cell body forward to migrate. Cell migration is a central process in all living organisms from early embryogenesis to the maintenance of essential functions such as wound healing or a functional immune system, and it is therefore important to be able to control cell movement and adhesion.

80 percent of cancer mortality is caused by metastasis of daughter cells from parent tumors to new niches/organs. The mechanism behind this is relatively unknown. One of the most important players involved in cell motility and in cell-cell contacts such as the immunological synapse is a group of adhesion molecules called integrins.

Despite decades of study of these events, our knowledge of how these adhesion proteins are reorganized and reused is very limited, especially in fast-moving cells such as leukocytes and tumor cells.

Our research group is interested in understanding how integrins are regulated and recycled, as de novo synthesis would not be economical for any given cell. We are particularly interested in the integrin called LFA-1, which is the major integrin used by T lymphocytes. We want to better understand how LFA-1 is transported and recycled intracellularly in a migrating cell as well as in the immunological synapse and how this can be used by tumor cells to evade the immune system.

Academic background:

Doctoral degree Sahlgrenska Academy, University of Gothenburg
Postdoctoral fellow London Research Institute (Today CRICK), Cancer Research UK. Senior Postdoctoral fellow Kings College London
VR-foass Lund University 2010-2014
Docent in immunology Lund University 2012
Associate professor in physiology, Örebro University 2017-2020
STINT fellow, visiting professor NTU, Singapore 2018
Associate professor in cell biology Umeå University 2020-