Host-Tumor Interactions Research Program
Tumor growth, invasion, and metastasis depend not only on the tumor cell alone, but also on the complex interactions between the tumor cells and their host. The goal of the Host-Tumor Interactions Research Program is to develop a detailed and mechanistic understanding of not just the tumor cell and tumor mutations, but also all the components of the host microenvironment that influence cancer and the response to cancer therapy.
RESEARCH THEMES
With the goal of understanding how complex interactions between tumor cells and their host contribute to cancer, the Host-Tumor Interactions program focuses on four specific research themes:
Angiogenesis & Vasculogenesis
Understanding how new blood vessels form to feed tumors – and finding ways to block these processes
Cell:Cell & Cell:Matrix Interactions
Identifying molecules involved in communication between tumor cells and their cellular and structural microenvironment
Inflammation & Immunity
Uncovering how inflammation triggers and promotes cancer
Tumor Imaging & Modeling
Integrating knowledge about host-tumor interactions to understand how tumors evolve in a changing microenvironment
Meet the Program Members
The Host-Tumor Interactions program is co-led by Mary M. Zutter, M.D., and Jeffrey Rathmell, Ph.D. The basic, translational, and clinical scientists who make up this program are focused on discovering and understanding these interactions, with the ultimate goal of developing strategies to control tumor progression and metastasis by targeting these interactions.
