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Johanna JOYCE Department of oncology UNIL CHUV |
Phone +41 21 692 59 37 |
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News @ Joyce Lab
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Johanna JOYCE Department of oncology UNIL CHUV |
Phone +41 21 692 59 37 |
Our lab investigates the microenvironment in which a tumor arises and the critical influence that non-cancerous stromal and immune cells can have on tumor progression, metastasis and response to therapy. We analyse both positive and negative signals provided by the normal tissue stroma to the cancer cells, and explore how the microenvironment can be educated by the cancer cells to produce a variety of factors that enhance tumor malignancy.
We are currently focusing much of our efforts on understanding and therapeutically targeting brain malignancies and metastatic disease, both from the perspective of the tumor microenvironment (TME). Glioblastomas and brain metastases are among the most lethal of cancers, with an average lifespan of a year or less following diagnosis. Given this dismal patient prognosis, we became very interested in studying these particular brain malignancies several years ago. We have been fortunate to make several important insights into the brain TME from our recent studies (e.g. Quail et al, Science 2016; Pyonteck et al, Nature Medicine 2013). However, we have much more to discover in terms of elucidating mechanisms of immune suppression, determining how distinct molecular subtypes or genetic drivers in cancer cells may differentially sculpt the brain TME, and exploring how the brain TME is affected by both standard of care therapy and new investigational therapies, including immunotherapies.
In parallel, we continue to explore the entire metastatic process in the context of breast cancer, leading on from our recent findings (Quail et al, Sevenich et al, Nature Cell Biology 2017; Sevenich et al, Nature Cell Biology 2014).
Our rationale for focusing on these specific diseases comes from the evident challenges in treating brain tumors, our relative paucity of knowledge of the brain TME compared to other organ sites, and from the fact that ~90% of patient deaths result from metastases.
Visit http://joycelab.org for more information.
Ángel ÁLVAREZ-PRADO
Postdoctoral Researcher
Leire BEJARANO
Postdoctoral Researcher
Marta Joana COSTA JORDAO
Postdoctoral Researcher