Heterocellular signaling in the tumor microenvironment

Tumors are complex organs that, in addition to the transformed cancer cells, contain infiltrating host cells. It is widely accepted that infiltrating cells such as fibroblasts and immune cells influence the malignant behavior of cancer cells. However, the mechanisms whereby stromal cells support cancer cells are currently not clearly defined. Specifically, we only have a limited appreciation of the reciprocal signals that are exchanged between tumor and stromal cells.

In this webinar, Dr. Claus Jorgensen discusses how his team at the Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute used global and targeted proteomics analysis to discern cell signaling at cell-specific resolution in co-culture models. Importantly, specific tumor cell phenotypes were only observed in co-culture models, suggesting that this biochemical appreciation of cell signaling in complex model systems needs further investigation.