Research activity

Presently we are pursuing the following lines of research:

1. Unraveling cancer cooperation and exploiting cancer plasticity to treat cancer : cancer cells coexist in various transcriptional and epigenetic states. We strive to define the mechanisms maintaining these alternative states and to discover therapies able to disrupt these thriving communities, for example derailing cancer cells towards dead-end developmental trajectories.  The focus is on the most lethal cancers, including breast, colon, pancreatic and the brain tumor glioblastoma multiforme, exploiting in vitro and in vivo genetic and epigenetic screens and single cell and spatial epigenetic, genetic and transcriptional genomic technologies.

2. Designing the optimal treatment for each patient: cancer patients are given therapies based on standard protocols, not on their real cellular responses to treatment. We have generated a large cohort of patient-derived organoids, three-dimensional miniature structures which closely mimic the patient response to treatment. We have also developed a microfluidic platform that allows the simultaneous screening of hundreds of organoids derived from a single patient, thus allowing to precisely tailor therapies before starting treatment. Based on a comprehensive assessment of the patient cancer cell features, including genomics, epigenetics, proteomics, metabolomics, lipidomics and secretomics profiling, AI tools select the optimal therapy for each patient.

3. Overcoming drug resistance to cancer treatments: cancer patients die because they do not respond any more to treatments. Modelling our experiments on the strategies developed by bacteria to withstand antibiotic treatments, we are exploring the hidden paths implemented by cancer cells to endure both acute and prolonged cancer treatments. 

4. Targeting the key liabilities of the hematological cancer multiple myeloma: we have identified two nodes, metabolism and unyielding immunoglobulin production, as crucial Achille’s heels of myeloma cells. Efforts are ongoing to circumvent and exploit these weaknesses, to reach a definitive cure for this deadly blood cancer.

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