HSTalks with Prof. Isaac P. Witz - Now available for free watch

How tumor-microenvironment interactions drive or inhibit metastasis - by Prof Issac Witz 

The realization that cancer does not develop and exists in a vacuum but is surrounded by non-cancerous cells and their molecular products (collectively termed as the “tumor microenvironment” – TME) started to gain a foothold in the cancer-research and the oncological communities.  It is now clear that interactions of cancer cells with neighboring non-cancer cells promote the formation of metastases and sustain them.

Contemporary efforts focusing on boosting tumor-TME interaction that suppress metastasis (such as immunotherapy) and on the neutralization of interactions that promote metastasis (for example obstruct the blood supply to the cancerous tissue) achieve promising results.

The talk focusing on the tumor-TME cross talk, cited some of the early experimental discoveries of Isaac Witz that were instrumental in establishing, against the prevailing cancer-centric dogma, the significance of the tumor microenvironment in cancer progression.

Those interested in the development of the TME concept are advised to read “A history of exploring cancer in context”, a review written by Isaac and published in” Nature Reviews Cancer”.

To watch the complete lecture, click here >>