Fig 2: nWASP expression in lung tumour clinical samples. nWASP transcript levels normalised to actin according to clinicopathological information. a nWASP transcript levels are higher in both squamous and adenocarcinoma tumours compared with small-cell carcinoma samples (p = 0.18 and p = 0.052 respectively). b nWASP is expressed at significantly higher levels in tumour tissues which exhibit nodal activity compared with lymph node-negative tumours (p = 0.042). c nWASP transcript expression increases according to tumour grade, p = 0.094 for TNM1 vs. TNM3. d nWASP expression is higher in lung tumours where patients have a long-term smoking habit. Mean ± SEM are shown

Fig 3: The effect of nWASP inhibition on the HaCaT cell behaviour. Dose–response curves (A,B). HaCaT cells treated with 0.1 µM wiskostatin (C) or 10 µM 187-1 (D). Average absorbance ± SD is presented, representative data are shown and n = 5 replicates were in each independent repeat. Representative images of crystal-violet-stained cells (E). HaCaT cells following an electrical wounding treated with 0.1 µM wiskostatin (F) or 10 µM 187-1 (G). The effect of wiskostatin and 187-1 on the rate of migration of HaCaT cells: 0.1 µM wiskostatin (H) and 10 µM 187-1 (I). Normalised rate of migration + SD is presented. Representative images of the scratch wound at 0 and 6 h are also shown (J). The 0.1 µM wiskostatin (K) and 10 µM 187-1 (L) treatment results are shown. The change from the control is presented with the mean + SD shown. The effects of 0.1 µM wiskostatin (M) and 10 µM 187-1 (N) on the normalised absorbance, and the effects of 0.1 µM wiskostatin (O) and 10 µM 187-1 (P) on the spread of HaCaT cells. * indicates statistical significance from 0 h to each subsequent time point (* p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01, ns: not significant).

Fig 4: nWASP inhibition and the change in healing rates in a murine mouse model. The effect on the size of the hole punch wound in pixels (mean +/− SD, n = 6) following the systemic (A) and topical (B) application of 187-1. Percentage changes in wound area from the first measurement after wounding (day 1) (C). The effect of the administration of wiskostatin is shown in (D–G). * indicates statistical significance (* p < 0.05, ** p < 0.01, *** p < 0.001 **** p < 0.0001).

Fig 5: The control or CapZβ-knockout HeLa cells were immunostained with antibodies against RAB5 and N-WASP, followed by confocal imaging.