Mapping the fitness landscapes of metastasizing cancers (C02 [B07])

• Subject Area: Evolutionary Cell and Developmental Biology (Zoology)
• Term: since 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 325931972

This project investigates the adaptation of colorectal cancer metastases to their new tissue environment in the liver. We will map predictable evolutionary and physiological adaptations to the liver environment that are drivers of metastatic fitness. We will infer likely driver changes from transcriptome data, cell line co-culturing and mouse models. We will assess if metastasis driver changes are specific vulnerabilities of metastatic tumors that can be exploited for fitness model-guided pharmacological interventions.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 1310: Predictability in Evolution
• Applicant Institution: Universität zu Köln
• Project Heads: Professor Dr. Andreas Beyer, since 1/2022; Professor Dr. Axel Hillmer, since 1/2022