Understanding how tumor cells disseminate from the primary tumor, survive in distant tissues, and eventually form clinically detectable metastases.
Metastatic disease remains the leading cause of cancer-related mortality. Metastases arise when tumor cells detach from the primary tumor, invade surrounding tissues, enter the circulation, and colonize distant organs. These processes involve complex biological mechanisms and interactions between tumor cells and their microenvironment. This research program is jointly conducted by the University Cancer Center Schleswig-Holstein (UCCSH) and the University Cancer Center Hamburg (UCCH), strengthening interdisciplinary collaboration and expertise across both centers.
Research groups within UCCSH investigate the mechanisms that enable tumor cells to disseminate and survive in distant tissues. Disseminated tumor cells may persist for many years in a dormant state before eventually forming clinically detectable metastases. Understanding the biological programs that regulate tumor cell dormancy, survival, and reactivation is therefore a major focus of cancer research.
Particular attention is given to the molecular and cellular changes that allow tumor cells to adapt to hostile environments, including alterations in metabolism, resistance to apoptosis, and phenotypic plasticity such as epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). By studying these mechanisms and the interactions between tumor cells and their surrounding tissues, researchers aim to identify new therapeutic strategies to prevent or limit metastatic progression.