Research
Tissue Mechanics Shaping Immune Metabolism and Cancer Immunity
In breast cancer, the extracellular matrix (ECM) becomes stiffer and less viscoelastic. These changes can suppress immune activity and limit the effectiveness of immunotherapies. To understand how ECM mechanics regulate immune metabolism and the tumor immune microenvironment, we developed biomaterial models with tunable viscoelasticity and paired them with metabolic and in vivo analyses. This work will elucidate how mechanical cues reprogram immune cell metabolism and function, identifying new strategies to enhance anti-tumor immunity.
Systemic Metabolism Driving Tissue Remodeling and Cell Behavior
Diabetes has been shown to promote cancer progression, yet the mechanisms remain poorly understood. Our work has shown that hyperglycemia-induced glycation stiffens the ECM and enhances breast tumor progression. We are now investigating how diabetes-driven ECM remodeling and tumor cell reprogramming together accelerate malignancy. Using engineered collagen hydrogels and diabetic mouse models, we aim to disentangle the relative contributions of ECM mechanics and intrinsic cellular changes to reveal how metabolic disease promotes cancer aggressiveness.
Fibroblast Metabolism Shaping Matrix Mechanics
Fibroblasts are a key cell type that builds and remodels the ECM, shaping the physical environment around tumors. Our previous studies have shown that cellular metabolism regulates the behavior of cancer and endothelial cells. Here, we extend this concept to fibroblasts, investigating how their metabolism controls the production and organization of the ECM using engineered tissue models and metabolic analyses. Ultimately, we aim to uncover ways to reprogram fibroblast metabolism to restore normal tissue structure and slow cancer progression.
Contact
Wenjun Wang, Ph.D.
NIH F99/K00 Postdoctoral Fellow
Harvard University
Engineering Science Laboratory
58 Oxford St., Cambridge, MA 02138
📧
wjwang@seas.harvard.edu