Receptor-ligand synergies between medulloblastoma cell types

Medulloblastoma is a malignant, primarily pediatric tumor, which typically arises in the cerebellum, a part of the brain which controls voluntary movements, balance, coordination, and posture amongst others. Therapeutic intervention remains intense and is accompanied by severe long-term side effects including both physical and psychosocial impairments. Eventually, one third of affected patients will die from their disease. Therefore, there is an urgent need to develop more specific and effective therapies against this deadly disease. Using molecular profiling techniques, medulloblastoma has been classified into four consensus molecular subgroups. Our research group has recently identified that medulloblastoma are composed of different cancer cell populations that exert distinct gene expression profiles. Interestingly, several cancer cell populations can be found in every tested medulloblastoma sample, however, in different proportions. This leaves the question why different medulloblastoma cell types exist in every medulloblastoma patient and if this recognition might be used to develop novel therapeutic strategies. I am fascinated by the idea that medulloblastoma tumors may be understood as a tightly controlled, connected multicellular systems. I am following the hypothesis of a synergistic cancer network between different cancer cell populations, a concept which is completely new to cancer research. To this end, this project will disentangle the hypothesized cancer cell network and aims at understanding oncogenic connections. The goal is to identify cancer- specific connections, which could be used as therapeutic targets.