Tumour Dormancy and Relapse Group

Surgical resection of the primary tumour is often successful as a first-line treatment for breast cancer. In some patients, however, several years of disease-free status is followed by recurrence or relapse of disease, at both the primary site (breast) and in unrelated tissues such as brain, bone, liver or lung. Disease relapse occurs in these patients despite the administration of adjuvant chemotherapy designed to eliminate residual disease. Secondary metastatic disease is often a challenge to treat, due to its presentation in multiple organs and sites, as well as the acquisition of drug resistance.

Our lab is investigating the mechanisms of metastatic disease relapse, with the ultimate aim of designing more effective protocols for maintaining the disease-free status of breast cancer patients.

During metastatic dissemination, tumour cells encounter different tissue microenvironments, consisting of a variety of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, inflammatory cells and growth factors. Our focus is on the way that these different microenvironmental factors contribute to tumour cell dissemination, survival and drug resistance, particularly in secondary target tissues or metastatic sites. We are currently using ex vivo models of tumour cell growth, for example, to identify components of the tumour microenvironment which influence the response to small-molecule inhibitors. In addition, we aim to understand how the ECM can promote the survival of tumour cells during the colonization of secondary target tissues through the regulation of cell polarity and 3D architecture. We are also developing novel approaches to investigate how secondary, metastatic tumour growth can be driven by unrelated physiological or age-related changes in secondary target tissues such as the liver or lung. Using a combination of experimental approaches, our goal is to identify novel ways to target residual disease and to prevent or eliminate secondary, metastatic tumour growth.