Colon cancer is the third leading cause of cancer deaths in the United States. While early detection has improved survival, the treatment of colon cancer has changed relatively little in the past few decades, focusing on generalized therapies that target rapidly dividing cells. My projects aim to identify new targets for colon cancer treatment.
In the colon, the mutations that lead to cancer over-activate the Wnt signaling pathway, which is known to regulate cell differentiation and growth. Our lab discovered that the metabolism of the colon tumor is in part driven by Wnt signaling and varies throughout the tumor mass, but forms a regular pattern that can be predicted by a mathematical model. We are currently finalizing this manuscript for publication, and it will demonstrate the ability of mathematical models to predict therapeutic outcomes in tumors.
My second project is to define a mechanism to demonstrate a link between Wnt signaling and tumor metastasis. To do so, I will use assays that have been developed in collaboration with labs in the department of Bioengineering. These assays enable the growth of microtumors and microtissues in the lab, which allows for the study of colon cancer cells in an environment that better mimics the complex interactions between cancer cells and the surrounding normal tissue.
These projects have the potential to identify new therapeutic targets that limit the ability of colon tumors to metastasize and grow, thus making the disease more manageable and potentially curable. In addition, the assays that are being optimized for use in this project can be used to test potential therapeutic options using patient samples prior to treatment.