Scientific advances over the past decade have transformed the way we understand and treat cancer by identifying genetic changes associated with the disease. But this research has also shown us the limits of this approach. We now know, for example, that there is no gene associated with metastasis, the cause of up to 90% of cancer deaths. To tackle the most pressing problems in cancer, we must look beyond genetics to understand the tumor’s entire ecosystem — all the interactions between tumors and the host tissues they inhabit, including the environment of different organs; whole body systems like the nervous, endocrine, and immune systems; the gut microbiome; and lifestyle factors like exercise, stress, and obesity.
The Marie-Josée and Henry R. Kravis Cancer Ecosystems Project at Memorial Sloan Kettering will spur this revolution in cancer science by funding pre-clinical laboratory research aimed at understanding cancer as a problem of malignant cells empowered or defeated by their host ecosystem.
Ecosystems synergizes the extraordinary resources and talent at MSK, enabling multidisciplinary teams of investigators to pursue critical questions that will shape the future of how we think about cancer biology, prevention, and treatment.
Mission & Scope
The goal of the Marie-Josée and Henry R. Kravis Cancer Ecosystems Project is to support ambitious preclinical research at MSK to solve the most pressing problems in cancer care using a systems-level approach.
Some of the specific objectives are to:
- Determine how gene–environment interactions influence cancer initiation and progression
- Define how non-genetic mechanisms influence cancer progression, dormancy, therapy response, and metastatic recurrence
- Gain insights into normal tissue development and regeneration to understand tumor progression, metastasis, and therapy resistance
- Uncover the cellular and molecular mechanisms by which the immune system combats or supports tumors
- Identify key metabolic adaptations of cancer cells and the tumor environment to the unique demands of tumor growth
- Establish the impact of inflammation on cancer stem cells during tumor initiation and progression
- Learn how the nervous system and other organ systems influence cancer and, conversely, how cancer triggers tissue wasting throughout the body.
- Define how factors such as aging, lifestyle, and environmental exposures contribute to cancer initiation and progression at a mechanistic level
Harnessing strengths across the institution
Probing complex cancer–host interactions necessitate bespoke approaches, that integrate a variety of cutting-edge techniques and areas of expertise. Ecosystems will energize the exceptional clinical resources, sophisticated cancer models, computational and technological innovation at MSK, to foster collaboration and discovery beyond what is achievable by individual labs. As a signature effort, Ecosystems is working closely with the Single-cell Analytics Innovation Lab (SAIL) to establish a world-class platform for single-cell and spatial biology. You can read more about SAIL here.
This project is made possible by a generous philanthropic gift from the Marie-Josée and Henry R. Kravis Foundation. The Kravis family’s ongoing support has been essential to many crucial scientific and clinical advances at MSK over the last two decades, and we are profoundly grateful for their visionary commitment to improving the lives of people with cancer worldwide.