Cell migration, the ability of certain cells to move, is essential for many physiological processes and can be disrupted in pathological contexts. We
[1] have just discovered a protein that regulates cell migration. Called Arpin, it is a barrier to migration and also allows the cell to control the direction of its migration. We were able to show that these two roles of Arpin have been preserved during evolution from amoeba to man. These results, published in
Nature on October 16, are expected to have a strong impact on cancer research. Indeed, cell migration and the formation of metastases are two closely related phenomena.