Research Focus

The routine use of modern therapeutic and surgical options in cancer treatment has significantly improved the control of primary tumors. However, these approaches sometimes fail to eliminate cancer cells that have disseminated early throughout the body. As a result, we see more and more patients developing metastases at sites traditionally considered “late-stage” complications, often much earlier than anticipated.

Metastases to fluid-filled anatomical spaces, such as the leptomeninges, pleura, and peritoneum, are associated with a notoriously poor prognosis and limited treatment options. These metastases pose a major clinical challenge in the management of advanced-stage cancer. Historically, the biological processes underlying these conditions were difficult to study. By integrating state-of-the-art technologies with relevant disease models and patient samples, we are committed to closing this critical knowledge gap.

Our goal is to redefine these metastases as a tractable immunological challenge and to lay the foundation for precision treatments, designed to overcome the unique constraints imposed by the fluid nature of these environments.