Scientific departments

Cancer Initiation and Tumor cell Identity

Accumulating data reveal the involvement in cancer initiation of complex and broad signaling events. We now need to describe a comprehensive view of the leading to cell transformation. Cancer emerges from long and cooperative process assimilating numerous early altered signals, which determine clonal evolution of the tumor. It relies on genetic and epigenetic alterations that provide the cell of origin with selective and transient advantage within a changing environment.

The objectives of the CITI department are to: i) identify the earliest transformation signals that we may use for early detection and prevent tumor progression and ii) elucidate how dynamic tumor and microenvironment heterogeneity impact the fitness of the tumor, which are key issues to improve treatments efficiency.