Signaling & Tumor Microenvironment

All organs have a unique microenvironment, specialized for function, and with cancer we have to understand the communication between a tumor and the microenvironment.

Cell behaviors change based on the microenvironment in which they live. The microenvironment can cause cancer cells to grow rather than allowing the immune system to fight the cancer. By observing both normal and cancer cells,we gain a greater understanding of the immune system and how we can alter this behavior.

This signaling or communication within the microenvironment is key to targeted therapy because signaling molecules are activated by the specific tumor. We then can activate the immune system to work against the tumor by preventing the signaling. By influencing this signaling behavior, we can stop cancer growth.

Signaling and Tumor Microenvironment Program members generate new knowledge that leads to a deeper understanding of cellular and extracellular factors regulating tumor initiation, expansion, invasion and metastasis, with the goal of applying this knowledge to improve cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment.

Investigators whose main focus is the microenvironment use multiple approaches to understand the interaction of tumor cells with cellular and extracellular components of the microenvironment.

Across the entire Signaling and Tumor Microenvironment Program, leadership has implemented a mentoring program to provide input on grant submissions and optimal research engagements and to help identify career development opportunities. This collaborative approach provides a more conducive environment to advancing cancer biology discovery. The program has a long-standing commitment to education for graduate and post-doctoral training. Home to the NCI-funded Cancer Biology Training Program, our members continue to significantly impact the education and training of the next generation of cancer biology investigators.