ERC funding: researchers to map how cancer spreads
A majority of cancer-related deaths occur because a primary tumour has produced metastases. However, the primary tumours and cancer cells that give rise to metastases, how they spread, and how they evolve are still largely unknown.
The research project LUMES – LUng cancer Metastasis Evolutionary Studies has been awarded €11.5 million from the European Research Council's Synergy Grants. Over the next six years, the project will, among other things, map which primary tumours are responsible for forming metastases.
“Since cancer is an evolutionary process, it is important to understand the evolutionary history of patients with metastases. This knowledge will allow us to develop better treatment methods” says Jens Lagergren , Professor of Computer Science and Computational Biology at KTH and SciLifeLab.
There is a great need to understand the biology behind aggressive forms of cancer to improve knowledge of when screening or blood tests should be introduced to detect these cancers early, and how such blood tests can be used. A key part of the LUMES project is to study the evolutionary process of primary tumours and metastases to determine when and how metastases arise.
Compare with blood tests
“Metastases are colonies that develop from primary tumours, which typically have a genomic diversity made up of different colonies. This means that cancer cells within the same clone share similar genetic material, while different clones differ in their genomes. We aim to investigate whether specific clones within a primary tumour have the capacity to form metastases, while others do not, and to explain the underlying reasons. Currently, knowledge about why some primary tumours form metastases while others do not is very limited – and that understanding is crucial for both treatment and detection” says Lagergren.
To study primary tumours and metastases, the researchers will use the Posthumous Evaluation of Advanced Cancer Environment (PEACE)research autopsy programme, which provides extensive sampling from both primary and metastatic cells. They will also compare their evolutionary analyses with blood samples, which act as a kind of “fossil record”, since cancer cells leave traces of DNA in the bloodstream.
Genetic variation
The researchers have chosen to focus on lung cancer, as it displays a high degree of genetic variation. This allows them to examine major events, such as the duplication or loss of large sections of DNA over time. By mapping these changes, it becomes possible to understand better when metastases form and which cells can give rise tothem.
“I hope to determine when metastasis occurs and whether metastases arise from multiple cells or clones. If we can answer these fundamental questions and develop a method, we can then apply it to other types of cancer. Ultimately, this could lead to earlier detection and treatment of aggressive cancers”
says Lagergren.
Text: Emelie Smedslund ( emeliesm@kth.se )