Research Interest

Cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) are a key component of the tumor microenvironment with diverse functions, including matrix deposition and remodeling, extensive reciprocal signalling interactions with cancer cells and crosstalk with infiltrating leukocytes. As such, they are a potential target for optimizing therapeutic strategies against cancer. However, many challenges are present in ongoing attempts to modulate CAFs for therapeutic benefit. These include limitations in our understanding of the origin of CAFs and heterogeneity in CAF function, with it being desirable to retain some antitumorigenic functions . Several paracrine factors released by the cancer cells modulate the nearby CAFs towards a tumor supportive niche and chemoresistance induction in the cancer cells itself. Hence, my primary area of research is to elucidate the mechanism involved in the tumor CAFs interactions through paracrine factors and subsequent development of chemoresistance.