< Back to previous page

Project

Characterizing the development and heterogeneity in the colorectal tumor ecosystem

Most colorectal tumors develop slowly in the colon interacting with the immune compartment and microbiome. The Tejpar group have identified by single cell RNA sequencing immune and epithelial determinants in the tumor microenvironment. These data and interaction analyses pinpointed key pathways in tumor development and immune suppression and their heterogeneity. However, limitations of single cell RNA sequencing are that the spatial ultrastructure is lost. Therefore, I will translate the results and hypothesis coming from the single cell RNA sequencing work into histological assessment to confirm presence of cell types and their neighborhoods. Moreover, I will study intra tumor heterogeneity and define key structural markers linked to inter- and intra tumor heterogeneity, which in turn will be linked to disease progression, prognosis and therapy. With this work, I aim to prioritize therapeutic targets and improve the histopathological assessment of colorectal tumors.

Date:12 Oct 2021 →  Today
Keywords:colorectal tumor ecosystem, heterogeneity, histopathological assessment, structural markers
Disciplines:Cancer biology
Project type:PhD project