DKTK Research Group for Therapy Resistance

Systems Biology of Breast Cancer in Therapy Resistance

Recent integration of tumor devices and high-dimensional computational data from mouse mammary carcinoma studies re-enforced the concept that cancer neighborhood (local tumor microenvironment, TME) can determine efficacy of anti-cancer therapies. We hypothesize that achieving durable cancer control will require systematic treatment approaches to block resistance mechanisms that result from bidirectional interaction of the tumor with the TME. Novel strategies will be needed to counteract all these mechanisms by administering drug combinations while avoiding toxic effects that would impair quality of life. In the promising era for combination anti-cancer therapeutics, tools to effectively predict rational immune- and TME-modulating combination treatments on personalized basis are still critically missing.

Using systems biology approaches, our laboratory aims to develop and identify the most promising integrative computational and bioengineering strategies to decompose tumor microenvironment complexity in treatment response ultimately leading to discovery of new (i) standardized biomarkers with predictive value and (ii) effective combinations of immune- and conventional anti-cancer therapies.