Colorectal cancer: clonal dynamics of malignant progression and treatment resistance evolution

The evolution from non-dysplastic colorectal mucosa to colorectal cancer is characterized by the accumulation of genomic alterations. Colitis patients have an increased risk for development of colorectal cancer, however, prediction which colitis patient will develop colorectal cancer is difficult. We hypothesize that screening for somatic genome alterations could help with the identification of colitis patients with a high risk of malignant progression. To investigate this question, we apply a combination of whole exome sequencing and single cell genomics to trace the onset and clonal spread of genetic alterations in the inflamed bowel. Another clinical challenge is the heterogeneous response of rectal cancer patients to neoadjuvant chemoradiation. Using a similar methodological approach as mentioned above, we aim to delineate the genomic trajectories underlying the emergence of treatment resistance and metastatic disease in rectal cancer to improve therapeutic strategies and patient outcome.

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Meeting-ID: 648 1536 5122
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