Abstract 1828 Structural studies of focal adhesion kinase, through the elucidation of protein-ligand interactions, aim to advance next-generation structure-based therapeutics for cancer

Focal adhesions (FAs) are large multi-protein complexes that mechanically link the cytoskeleton of a cell to the extracellular matrix. FAs sense changes in the microenvironment and allow cells to orchestrate inside-out and outside-in signaling. FAs are responsible for cellular adhesion, migration, survival, and proliferation, which are crucial for diverse biological processes such as embryonic development, the proper functioning of the immune system, and the metastasis of cancer cells. Understanding the role of specific peptide domains in regulating the composition of the focal adhesion complex, as well as the dynamic behavior of the complex in response to stimuli, is vital.