About Professor Claus Jørgensen

Tumours are complex ecosystems where cancer cells are embedded within an intricate stromal microenvironment comprising multiple infiltrating cell types and pathological changes to the extracellular matrix. The aim of the Systems Oncology laboratory is to determine and define how tumour cells conscript host cells to support tumour development and resistance to therapies. Understanding these rules will enable the development of rational combination therapies targeting both tumour cell intrinsic dependencies as well as their extrinsic dependencies on stromal reciprocal signals. 

Due to the complexity of the microenvironment and the cellular interactions, we use a combination of complex in vivo models and reductionist approaches to define the rule set by which individual stromal cell populations regulate tumour cell function.  Using these approaches, we have identified and characterised a number of tumour and stromal-derived signals, which engage tumour cell signalling to promote tumour cell survival, metabolic reviewing and metastasis, alongside stromal fibroblasts with anti-tumour activity.  

We also work to develop patient-derived models that recapitulate salient features of the tumour microenvironment. As an example, tumour cells can now be cultured in fully synthetic gels that also support stromal cell co-culture and tuning of the rigidity to accurately recapitulate these features of the tumour environment.  Tumour cell function is critically dependent on the local milieu and our work emphasises the importance of taking the environment into account when devising therapeutic strategies.   Using these models and approaches we are currently working to determine optimal strategies for therapeutic targeting of the microenvironment.