Elizabeth Comen, MD

Developing a minimally invasive blood test that can detect and classify early-stage breast cancer and predict response to treatment.

Impact

Cancer cells create a complex environment around themselves, called the tumor microenvironment, that helps them grow and spread to other parts of the body. Recent research has shown that cells lining blood vessels (endothelial cells) and immune cells in this environment play a significant role in promoting the spread of breast cancer. It was previously believed that more blood vessels around tumors simply supplied them with more oxygen and nutrients, aiding their growth. Now, it has been discovered that these blood vessels also send signals that actively encourage cancer cells to spread to new locations. Nerves in tumors were previously thought to be passive, simply providing routes for cancer cells to move along. Recently, studies have shown that nerves can help initiate tumors in some cancers. More innervation in these tumors is linked to higher chances of recurrence and poorer survival rates. It is not fully understood, however, how neurons regulate metastasis and how innervation changes as tumors become metastatic. Drs. Comen and Tavazoie are working toward understanding this connection.

What’s next

Drs. Comen and Tavazoie aim to better define the molecular interactions between neurons and cancer cells. They aim to reveal the specific factors that act to mediate the neuron-cancer crosstalk that drives metastatic progression. They will also map the innervation of breast tumors to gain a better sense of the cellular network underlying metastasis. Defining these signaling networks may reveal inhibitors of neuro-cancer crosstalk that could potentially become therapeutic agents to block metastasis and improve patient outcomes.