Our lab articulates the continuum of biomedical cancer research, from fundamental questions to clinical applications. Our goal is two-fold:
  • On one hand, we establish and use patient-derived organoids to develop cell-based precision medicine strategies in the clinic. Working with physicians, the lab has become the platform for a large clinical trial precision oncology. A bidirectional workflow, “from bedside to bench” and conversely, enables us to create a virtuous circle between these two research axes.
  • On the other hand we identify and decrypt fundamental properties of the cells that are hijacked by carcinoma to power their metastatic dissemination. We combine microengineering, microscopy approaches and biophysical theoretical modeling to perform multidisciplinary cutting-edge research in tumor collective cell migration.
Our team focuses on colorectal and pancreatic cancers, the second leading cause of cancer-related mortality with increasing incidence. While experimental models such as cell lines and mice have proved important limitations in our ability to build relevant knowledge and improve patient care, our lab focus on primary tumor explants and patient derived organoids. This unique material, rarely or not accessible in conventional research laboratories, has enabled us to identify neoplasic behaviors and migratory properties that have never been described before and to contribute to the direct improvement of the clinical management of cancer patients.