Functional characterization and therapeutic targeting of the crosstalk between metastatic cancer cells, fibroblasts, and immune cells in metastasis

• Applicants: Professor Dr. Markus Feuerer; Dr. Lisa Schmidleithner
• Subject Area: Immunology
• Term: since 2026
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 572759378

Metastasis is a critical aspect of cancer progression which involves the spreading and seeding of cancer cells from the primary tumor to distant organs. The process of metastasis is not only influenced by the cancer cells themselves but also by the surrounding microenvironment, which includes fibroblasts and immune cells during metastasis seeding. Fibroblasts, once considered merely structural support cells, have emerged as key players in the tumor microenvironment. Fibroblasts contribute to tumor progression by secreting growth factors, promoting angiogenesis, and facilitating extracellular matrix remodeling. However, their metastasis promoting function is not well understood. Understanding the intricate crosstalk between metastatic cancer cells, fibroblasts, and immune cells is crucial for developing targeted therapies that disrupt these interactions. Novel therapeutic approaches need to reprogram the metastatic microenvironment and enhance the immune attack against the metastatic lesion. Therefore, we plan to (1) functionally characterize the interactions between metastatic cancer cells, fibroblasts, and immune cells, (2) therapeutically target early metastasis using engineered CAR-T cells against the carcinoembryonic antigen designed to release neutralizing factors to interfere with the pro-tumorigenic role of fibroblasts and (3) translate our findings to the human system.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants