Our main focus: metastasis, drug resistance and the tumor microenvironmentThe main goal of our lab is to investigate the role of the tumor microenvironment in driving metastasis and drug resistance using an interdisciplinary approach involving basic biology, bioengineering and translational research.
The role of ECM in driving local invasion in breast cancer
DRUG rESISTANCE
DISSECTING the neural identity of tumors |
We seek to define and exploit the neuronal identity of solid tumors to prevent cancer metastasis, the leading cause of death in cancer patients. Recently, the presence of peripheral nerves in solid tumors and the upregulation of neuronal genes within tumor cells themselves were both reported be associated with poor outcome in cancer. We will use cell biology, engineering and clinically translatable approaches to understand how neoneurogenesis occurs in tumors, how the neural identity of tumors impacts the systemic regulation of metastasis and how we can leverage this information for non-invasive monitoring and treatment of metastatic disease.
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Collaborators
At Tufts:
David Kaplan, BME
Brian Timko, BME
Michael Levin, Biology
David Kaplan, BME
Brian Timko, BME
Michael Levin, Biology