Targeting the immune suppressive TME
This project investigates the molecular pathways through which tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP), secreted by tumor-associated macrophages and cancer cells, stimulates cancer progression, focusing on identifying targets to inhibit this tumor-promoting interaction.
In this project, we aim to investigate the mechanism through which tartrate resistant acid phosphatase (TRAP) interacts with and stimulates cancer cells. TRAP is an oncogene, expressed and secreted by both tumor-infiltrating macrophages as well as many cancer cells. We, and others, have previously shown that TRAP increases the proliferation, migratory, and invasion abilities of cancer cells as well as in other cells. However, the mechanism by which TRAP interacts with cancer cells to stimulate them is still unknown. Understanding this mechanism could lead to the development of inhibitors that disrupt the interaction between TRAP and cancer cells, thereby suppressing TRAP's stimulatory effect on cancer cells.