Featured research projects supported by the BioMed Data Science Hub

Wilms project overview

Spatial characterization of the Wilms tumor microenvironment

Wilms' tumour, the second most common abdominal tumour in young children, is often initially responsive to treatment. However, approximately 15% of cases relapse. The tumour microenvironment (TME), which includes cancer cells, including rare drug-resistant variants, vascular elements, fibroblasts, and immune cells, can lead to therapeutic failure. A comprehensive understanding of the TME and its constituent cells is essential for developing novel therapeutic strategies. 

This project is led by Dr. med. Uli Herrmann from the Herrmann Lab, and conducted by Larissa Imhof. 

PCa lineage plasticity overview

Prostate cancer lineage plasticity

Targeted therapies for prostate cancer (PCa) have led to the outgrowth of resistant tumors with altered lineage identity compared to pre-treatment tumors. The cellular and molecular mechanisms that underlie treatment-associated lineage transitioning remain poorly understood.

To better understand the biological mechanisms driving castration-resistant PCa progression, Dr. Irene Paassen, from the Rubin Lab, is using mouse models, cell barcoding and lineage tracing, single cell RNA/ATAC, and imaging.