Project Details
Projekt
Angiocrine signaling in metastatic colonisation of colon cancer (B08)
Subject Area
Hematology, Oncology
Term
since 2021
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 429280966
In colorectal cancer (CRC) distant metastases are the main cause of cancer-related death. The mutual interaction of disseminated cancer cells (DCCs) with stromal cells such as blood vessel endothelial cells is involved in the metastatic colonization. Recently, we have identified tumor microenvironment (TME)-dependent vascular plasticity in human CRC patients that actively supresses tumorigenesis by the release of the angiocrine protein SPARCL1 which exhibtis both, anti-angiogenic and anti-tumorigenic functions. In the proposed project B08, we will analyse whether SPARCL1 also inhibits the expansion of single DCCs and by this mechanism may actively counteract loco-regional and distant metastases. To these goals novel metastatic organoid-based CRC mouse models will be used. The long-term perspective is to establish SPARCL1 as a novel diagnostic marker to predict the risk of CRC metastasis and to elucidate the mechanisms of its anti-tumorigenic function to provide new targets for future therapeutic intervention.
DFG Programme
CRC/Transregios
Subproject of
TRR 305:
Striking a moving target: From mechanisms of metastatic colonization to novel systemic therapies
Applicant Institution
Universität Regensburg
