Back to agendaABSTRACT
Speakers: ICREA Research Professors Eduard Batlle, from IRB Barcelona, and Xavier Trepat, from the Institut de Bioenginyeria de Catalunya (IBEC)
When: 31st of January 2023, 18:00h
Where: Zoom & Auditorium FCRi, Passeig de Lluís Companys, 23, 08010 Barcelona
Abstract:
Colorectal cancer (CRC) kills around 700,000 people worldwide every year. The majority of these deaths are the result of the dissemination of the disease to foreign organs. The emergence of new treatment options for patients with late-stage CRC has extended survival periods, yet metastases remain incurable for the majority of patients. The mechanistic basis of metastasis in CRC is not well understood. There are no prevalent mutations associated with metastatic dissemination. New evidence from our laboratories and other groups now points to a key role for the interaction between the tumor and the surrounding cell ecosystem that includes immune cells, fibroblasts and blood vessels. For instance, the global gene expression program that associates more robustly to metastasis in CRC patients was expressed by cells that surround the tumor, the so-called cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs), and not by the cancer cells themselves. Besides these transcriptional mechanisms, the physical properties of cancer cells and cells of the tumor ecosystem and their mutual interaction are increasingly regarded as essential ingredients for CRC progression.
In this ICREA colloquium we will present recent advances from our groups addressing the mechanisms that govern progression of CRC, highlighting the need to integrate tools and concepts from genetics to physics. We will emphasize the key role of the tumor ecosystem interactions and discuss how it can be studied through multidisciplinary strategies.
The ICREA colloquia are a great way to learn about remote fields of research from our best experts. We usually have two speakers, who offer their opinions on the same subject from different angles. They are open to all ICREAs and their guests.
