Charting cellular ecosystems within the tumour microenvironment
Tumours comprise diverse cell types whose interactions ultimately shape disease progression. Beyond malignant cells, this includes an array of immune and structural populations. But their organization throughout the tumour is not uniform. Just as dense cities and rural landscapes develop over time, regional ecosystems emerge throughout the tumour microenvironment as it grows.
We use cutting-edge techniques to survey the landscape of the tumour microenvironment, creating a census of the diverse populations and their organization throughout the tissue
Dense regions of rapidly dividing cancer cells, devoid of vasculature, physically restricting immune cell infiltration
Protein-rich connective tissue produced by structural cells of the tumour, providing passage for invasive cancer cells to metastasize
Tumour beds infiltrated by inflammatory immune cells attempting to halt malignant growth