The Effect of Neutrophil Extracellular Traps in Awakening Dormant Cancer Cells in the Tumor Environment

Presenter: Christof Kaltenmeier, MD, PhD (advisors: Drs. Samer Tohme and Michele Molinari)

Recurrent cancer that spreads to distant sites is the leading cause of disease-related death among cancer patients. Cancer cells are likely to disseminate to other tissues during cancer progression and can become dormant and undetectable for many years. Dormant cancer cells can evade immune surveillance and chemotherapy. Eventually, these cell can reawaken in response to signals, which are not yet fully understood. Dr. Kaltenmeier's research group has shown that neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) can increase invasion, migration and alter metabolism of cancer cells. They therefore hypothesize that surgery-induced neutrophil ectracellular traps can further promote the awakening of dormant cancer cells at distant sites, leading to new metastatic foci.