Welcome to LEE lab

Metastasis is the process by which cancer cells detach from the primary site and disseminate to distant organ sites. It is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in many types of cancer. Intriguingly, metastasis is not a random event; rather, it shows a preference for colonizing specific organs, called metastatic organotropism. 

Q: What are the cellular and molecular mechanisms that drive the organ-specific colonization and outgrowth of metastatic tumor cells?

Seed (Cancer) and Soil (Organ) Hypothesis (by Stephen Paget)

Cancer cells (the "seed") can successfully colonize specific host organ environments (the "soil") that are compatible with their growth and survival. It is believed that this occurs because the primary tumor actively regulates the distant sites for metastasis, even before tumor cell colonization, by inducing a tumor-favorable host microenvironment known as the "pre-metastatic niche". The pre-metastatic niche is broadly orchestrated by tissue-resident stromal cells and bone marrow-derived cells in response to tumor-derived factors. However, our current knowledge of how pre-metastatic niche is established remains poorly understood.  

Our laboratory focuses on the biology of cancer metastasis, particularly on the metastatic microenvironment that enables tumor cells to implant at specific sites. Using mouse models, multi-omics approaches, and various cellular and molecular techniques, we aim to investigate the molecular and cellular dynamics underlying the formation of the pre-metastatic niche, which eventually promotes metastasis. Through this research, our lab seeks to address fundamental biological questions about how host responses impact the development and progression of cancer and other diseases.

종양 전이 미세환경(MNR) 연구실은 장기 특이적 암 전이(metastatic organotropism) 기전에 관해 연구하고 있습니다. 특히 암 전이가 일어나기 전 초기 단계에서 전이 지역 숙주(host) 세포들이 어떠한 상호 작용 및 분자 기전을 통해 해당 장기로의 암 전이를 방어하지 못하고 장기 특이적인 전이를 유도하거나 혹은 가속화 시키는지에 대한 원인을 다학제적 기초 및 중개 연구를 통해 상세히 밝히고자 합니다. 

이러한 연구를 통해 궁극적으로는 암을 비롯한 여러 질병들이 발생 및 진행되는 생물학적 원인을 규명하고, 이를 예방하거나 효과적으로 치료하는 방법을 모색하는 것을 목표로 합니다.