Cell Plasticity in Cancer Evolution

Session

Keynote

19 May 2025, 16:00

33. The various shades of plasticity in pancreatic cancer

Susanne Sebens (Kiel University)

19/05/2025, 16:00

Cellular plasticity describes the ability of cells to switch their phenotype in response to
microenvironmental changes. It is a key phenomenon in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) esentially adding to the tumors high degree of heterogeneity, aggressiveness and therapy resistance. Furthermore, PDAC is characterized by a profound inflammatory stroma which is an important driver of...

31. Tumor microenvironment and nutrient deprivation: plasticity of biomechanics, invasion and metastasis

Peter Friedl (Radboud University Medical Centre, Netherlands)

20/05/2025, 09:00

Metabolic stress is a frequent adverse event in tumors caused by mutations, malperfusion, hypoxia, and nutrition deficit. The resulting bioenergetic deprivation triggers signaling, mechanical and metabolic adaptation responses in tumor cells to secure survival and adjust migration activity. Using 3D invasion models and preclinical intravital microscopy in mouse models of breast cancer, we...

36. Spatial, geometrical and mechanical features of the tumour microenvironment

Fabian Spill (University of Birmingham)

20/05/2025, 13:20

The tumour microenvironment is characterized by alterations in the molecular and cellular composition, such as the infiltration of immune cells, reprogramming of fibroblasts, changes in ECM composition, changes in oxygen concentrations and pH, and related cell phenotype changes such as metabolic reprogramming or the emergence of migratory and invasive cancer cells. Critically, many, if not...

38. How a single oncogene controls lung cancer heterogeneity and evolution

Gaetano Gargiulo (Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine (MDC)

21/05/2025, 09:00

Tumor heterogeneity significantly complicates cancer treatment and prognosis.
Our recent findings demonstrate that the transcriptional dosage of the oncogenic form of the KRAS gene drives tumor evolution in lung adenocarcinoma. Using mouse models, CRISPR activation screens, and chromatin profiling, we showed that - despite being already mutated and copy-number amplified - a mild...

35. Investigating phenotype plasticity and therapeutic strategies using logical modeling

Heike Siebert (Kiel University)

21/05/2025, 11:20

Micronenvironmental signals play an important role in controlling cell
phenotypes. A complex network of interactions, both between a cell and
its environment as well as within a cell, govern cell development
processes. Mathematical models can contribute to our understanding of
such processes and support experimental design by generating testable
hypotheses. In this talk, I highlight the...

32. Growth rate-driven modelling reveals how phenotypic adaptation drives drug resistance in BRAFV600E-mutant melanoma

Sara Hamis (Uppsala University)

21/05/2025, 13:10

Phenotypic adaptation, the ability of cells to change phenotype in response to external pressures, has been identified as a driver of drug resistance in cancer. To quantify phenotypic adaptation in BRAFV600E-mutant melanoma, we develop a theoretical model that emerges from data analysis of WM239A-BRAFV600E cell growth rates in response to drug challenge with the BRAF-inhibitor encorafenib. Our...

37. Impact of Cancer Cell Plasticity on Therapy Response

Purificación Muñoz Moruno (Bellvitge Biomedical Research Institute (IDIBELL))

22/05/2025, 09:00

Early cutaneous squamous cell carcinomas (cSCCs) generally show epithelial differentiation features and good prognosis, whereas advanced cSCCs present mesenchymal traits associated with tumor relapse, metastasis, and poor survival. The mechanisms involved in cSCC progression are unclear, and the established markers are suboptimal for accurately predicting the clinical course of the disease....