Project Details
Projekt
Metabolic Heterogeneity in Human Ovarian Cancer
Applicant
Dr. Franziska Ganster
Subject Area
Gynaecology and Obstetrics
Term
since 2025
Project identifier
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 565103765
The proposed research focuses on an innovative approach to studying the biology of ovarian cancer (OC) metastasis from a metabolic perspective. Instead of concentrating on individual tumor cells, the focus will be on the metabolism within the tumor organ. Unlike genomic alterations in cancer cells, metabolic reprogramming in the tumor organ may be reversible if therapeutically targeted. The central hypothesis of this research is that OC metastasis is a dynamic process driven by reciprocal metabolic interactions between tumor and stromal cells. A deeper understanding of the metabolic reprogramming of different cell types within the tumor microenvironment could provide the opportunity to disrupt this harmful collaboration. The goal of the research is to answer fundamental questions: Which fuels and metabolites are altered in ovarian cancer, stroma, and immune cells between the primary tumor and metastasis, and how does tumor metabolism change? How do reprogrammed metabolic pathways affect the tumor organ and response to therapies? Finally, can metabolic interventions be used to enhance therapy response or overcome resistance? In the short term, the project aims to define tumor organ metabolism and characterize the metabolic pathways in various cell types. The project will be partially continued upon the researcher’s return to Germany. To this end, several models are planned: in vivo studies with patient data, in vitro experiments with 3D organotypic ovarian cancer models, and in vivo experiments with syngeneic mice. This novel approach could provide new insights into the understanding of OC metastasis and contribute to the development of therapeutic strategies that specifically target tumor metabolism.
DFG Programme
WBP Fellowship
International Connection
USA
