Centre for Urological Research

Tumor microenvironment

Much of the research to date into prostatic carcinogenesis has focused on epithelial cells and, more specifically, on the genetic changes that occur in epithelial cells as they progress from a normal to a malignant phenotype. However, several lines of investigation have suggested that the environment surrounding the malignant epithelium is vital for sustaining the tumour. Hence the tumour microenvironment (stroma) promotes malignancy by encouraging proliferation and invasion of tumor cells.   Our aim is to test if we can control the cancer cell growth, with the microenvironment, so that they are no longer malignant.