Cell Communication and Microenvironment (CoMET)

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The Marseille Cancer Research Center celebrates its 50th anniversary ! -

The Cellular Communication and Microenvironment Department (CoMET), led by Dr. Sophie VASSEUR, consists of 5 research teams with the objective of understanding the biological mechanisms influencing the survival, plasticity, dissemination, and resistance of cancer cells to treatments. Their research spans the biology of cancer at the cellular and tumor levels, integrating the microenvironment. The ultimate goal is to identify therapeutic targets and enhance the understanding of tumor biology for clinical application. Their work covers various aspects of cancer, including tumor metabolism, cellular communication, signaling, and drug development.

Collaboration with clinical teams ensures project relevance, particularly for aggressive cancers such as those of the pancreas, breast, liver, and lung. The department also promotes inter-departmental collaboration and the use of patient samples to address mechanisms of tumor progression and treatment resistance.

Chair : Sophie Vasseur

Glycosylation, Cell Interfaces and Therapies
Frédéric Bard

Team Frédéric Bard

Signaling networks, targets and therapeutics in solid tumors
Jean-Paul Borg & Flavio Maina

Team Jean-Paul Borg & Flavio Maina

Heme, Ubiquitin and Lung Cancer
Luca Lignitto

Team Luca Lignitto

Tumor-stromal cell crosstalk and metabolic reprogramming in pancreatic cancer
Richard Tomasini & Sophie Vasseur

Extracellular vesicles : from signaling mechanistic to therapeutic engineering
Pascale Zimmermann

Team Pascale Zimmermann