The EACR image of the month is from a portuguese PhD student

The EACR November image of the Month winner was sent by Patrícia Manuela Ribeiro Pereira, PhD student at the University of Aveiro, Portugal and the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Coimbra, Portugal. The image shows increased F-actin staining in human bladder cancer cells after photodynamic therapy. After plating the cancer cells, they were incubated with a photosensitizer compound and then irradiated. The cells were then stained with markers of F-actin (yellow) and nucleus (pink). F-actin, a component of cytoskeleton, has key roles in cell morphology and membrane integrity. The image demonstrates that F-actin staining increases in the sites of cell protrusion after treatment indicating a reduction in cell – cell interaction.