Program
The research program of the Cancer Cell Dynamics Unit focuses on studying cellular signaling dynamics with high temporal resolution and at the single-cell level.
Our research is structured around three main objectives:
- to understand how oncogenic mutations, such as KRAS, alter signal transduction in the MAPK pathway and related pathways in 2D and 3D models of solid tumors;
- to investigate how cancer cells communicate with each other through dynamic signaling and how this communication contributes to therapy resistance;
- to identify therapies and therapeutic combinations capable of correcting the alterations in signaling dynamics induced by oncogenes.
The research program of the Cancer Cell Dynamics Unit focuses on studying cellular signaling dynamics with high temporal resolution and at the single-cell level. Recent studies have shown that, in many contexts, signal transduction pathways encode information not only through the intensity of their activation but also through their temporal dynamics. These dynamics are then interpreted by cells to regulate key decisions such as proliferation, programmed cell death, and other collective behaviors.
Our hypothesis is that, in tumors, oncogenic mutations alter this signaling language, leading to incorrect transmission of information from the microenvironment to cellular decision-making processes. Understanding how this language is altered has the potential to provide new insights into cancer cell biology and to open new avenues for more effective treatments.
To address these questions, we use a multidisciplinary approach that combines 2D and 3D tumor models, fluorescent biosensors, live-cell microscopy, image analysis, and single-cell data analysis.