PROOF OF CONCEPT

BRCA1/2 mutations are well-established hereditary cancer predisposition genes that confer an increased risk of cancer to mutation carriers. These mutations are highly prevalent in high-grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC), the most lethal gynecologic malignancy. Preliminary data from the Scherz-Shouval lab indicate that BRCA1-mutant HGSOC tumors exhibit a distinct tumor microenvironment (TME), characterized by enrichment of mesothelial cells and inflammatory cancer-associated fibroblasts (iCAFs), compared with BRCA1 wild-type (WT) tumors.

Epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and cell migration are pivotal processes in both cancer metastasis and embryonic development and share common molecular and genetic pathways. While EMT has long been considered essential for cancer metastasis, studies have shown that suppressing EMT by deleting key transcription factors, such as Snail or Twist, in primary tumors does not necessarily impair the invasion and metastasis of pancreatic carcinoma cells.

Certain types of cancer differentially affect females and males. Recent studies implicated the loss of chromosome Y (LOY) as one of the mechanisms driving male-specific cancers. In these tumors, the loss of paralog Y-linked genes such as eIF1AY creates a dependency on the remaining X-linked eIF1AX paralog gene, which encodes the essential translation initiation factor eIF1A.

Dysregulated Golgi homeostasis has emerged as a potential contributor to tumor development and progression by altering the surface and secreted proteome, as well as Golgi-specific modifications. In this proposal we aim to uncover the effects of Golgi stress and perturbed Golgi morphology on cancer cell behavior and their interactions with the immune cells. Our research objectives encompass three specific aims: First, characterizing Golgi stress-induced Golgi fragmentation in a diverse panel of cancer cell lines, shedding light on the mechanisms underlying this phenomenon.

Malignant tumors present a distinct challenge to the immune system as "altered self". Although there is a well-established crosstalk between the immune system and the tumor that has substantial implications for cancer therapy, the nature of the antigens that allow the immune system to distinguish cancer cells from non-cancer cells has long remained obscure.

In this study we found that localized delivery of a type I Interferon (IFNβ) to a severe mouse melanoma model (B16F10) by injecting an adeno-associated-virus (AAV) as delivery system directly into the tumor we sensitize animals to respond favorably to anti-PDL1 immunotherapy.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) constitutes one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths worldwide, which
typically insidiously develops through a long years-long process involving mutations accumulating in
different genes that are essential to a variety of cellular pathways such as WNT, RAS?MAPK, TGF-?, P53,
and DNA mismatch-repair pathways. The gut microbiome has been suggested to causally impact CRC
development, progression, and response to treatment. However, the mechanisms by which gut microbial

Cancer metastasis is a process in which cancer cells disseminate from the primary tumor, settle and grow at a site other than the primary tumor site. Cancer mortality primarily stems from metastatic recurrence, emphasizing the urgent need for developing effective metastasis-targeted immunotherapies. Metastatic breast cancer still accounts for a substantial portion of breast cancer-related deaths, with a median survival time of about 12 months after metastasis.

Cancer-associated cachexia is a multifactorial syndrome defined by weight loss and skeletal muscle atrophy, causing decreased quality of life, reduced treatment tolerance, and increased mortality. Although approximately 30% of all cancer deaths are directly caused by cachexia, there is no reliable treatment. We recently demonstrated that an early metabolic rewiring in liver metabolism promoted by the innate immune system contributes to the manifestations of cancer-associated cachexia.