Drivers and Biomarkers of Metastasis

Cancer doesn't kill primarily through the initial tumor; it's metastasis—the spread of cancer cells to distant organs—that's responsible for over 90% of cancer-related deaths. Yet, the complex mechanisms that drive metastasis – the factors that allow cancer cells to break away, travel, and thrive in new environments – are still not fully understood. In the Drivers and Biomarkers of Metastasis Lab, we're determined to crack the code of this complex process. Our focus lies within melanoma and breast cancer, where we investigate the intricacies of lymphovascular pre-metastatic niches – the unique environments that pave the way for the spread of cancer.