Summary of the science
Cancer therapy can sometimes fail because cancer cells are smart and adaptable. They can develop ways to resist the effects of the treatments, making them less effective. Additionally, cancer is a complex disease, and it can spread from the initial tumour to other parts of the body, making it harder to treat. This spreading, called metastasis, can happen even after the initial tumour has been removed or treated. Understanding why cancer treatments fail is important so that scientists can develop new strategies to overcome these challenges and improve patient outcomes. Sahai lab's goal is to discover patterns and signals that can be targeted to prevent cancer from spreading and improve treatment outcomes.
About the research
Sahai lab's research focuses on understanding the deadliest aspects of cancer: its ability to spread throughout the body (metastasis) and develop resistance to treatments. By analysing patient data and using experimental models, they investigate the interactions between cancer cells and non-cancerous cells, identifying genetic and molecular changes that drive metastasis and treatment failure. The movement of cancer cells into tissue surrounding the tumour and the vasculature is the first step in the spread of metastatic cancers. Recent advances in imaging, the use of 3D model systems and the application of microarray technologies have yielded new insights into these processes. This work has challenged our views about what causes cancer cells to become motile in the first place and has demonstrated that cancer cells can move in many different ways.
About the illustration