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Cancer Host and Environment

The Cancer Host and Environment (CHE) program focuses on parameters in the host that promote or impede cancer progression or cancer recurrence with an emphasis on host conditions that may influence progression to clinically significant disease.

Researchers in the Cancer Host and Environment (CHE) program explore chronic inflammation, obesity, diet, exercise, nutrition, coagulation, immune surveillance and modulation, vaccines, tumor cell niches, metastasis, and symptom management. 
 

Program Themes

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Theme 1: Impact of Tumor-Host Interactions on Cancer Initiation & Progression

Theme 2: Cancer Interventions: Harnessing Host & Tumor Characteristics

Theme 3: Mitigating the Impact of Cancer and Treatment on Host Physiology


 

Theme 1: Impact of Tumor-Host Interactions on Cancer Initiation & Progression

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Improving our understanding of the mechanisms contributing to tumorigenesis, especially in the context of the host environment, is critical to promoting the development of new and effective targeted therapies. The work from a cohort of investigators within CHE aims to elucidate how cancer progression is altered by the host environment and what useful biomarkers can be identified for these processes. This knowledge can then be leveraged for improving therapeutic strategies. 

Theme 2: Cancer Interventions: Harnessing Host & Tumor Characteristics

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Research focused on developing novel interventional strategies that leverage host and tumor characteristics particularly within their microenvironments is another major area of effort within CHE and complement the fundamental work on tumor-immune system interactions.

Theme 3: Mitigating the Impact of Cancer and Treatment on Host Physiology

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Cancer and its therapies cause side effects associated with significant morbidity and mortality, and a number of CHE investigators are evaluating specific ways to mitigate these effects.

Program Leaders

Researcher shows two students microscope images in the Cunniff Lab at the ¶¶Òõ̽̽ Cancer Center.

CHE Members

Get to know our experts, their research, areas of interest, and more in our interactive member directory.

Cancer Host and Environment Program Meetings 

The Cancer Host and Environment (CHE) program meets on the second Friday of every month.