Michalina Janiszewska, Ph.D., Explores how cancer evolves – and how to outmaneuver it.
Cancer is a moving target, constantly adapting, evolving and resisting treatment. Cancer biologist Michalina Janiszewska, Ph.D., of The Wertheim UF Scripps Institute, studies how tumors change over time, and how this evolution affects treatment outcomes. She says this knowledge could be key to outsmarting aggressive cancers.
The Challenge
Despite advances in precision oncology, many cancer patients
experience recurrence. That’s because not all cells in a tumor are identical. “Most tumors are in fact complex ecosystems, comprised of various species of cancer cells, and a mixture of normal cells from the tissue where the tumor developed,” explains Janiszewska, assistant professor at The Herbert Wertheim UF Scripps Institute for Biomedical Innovation & Technology. Her research aims to uncover more effective ways to
treat the most aggressive brain tumors by targeting this diversity, thwarting cancer’s ability to evolve and resist therapy.
The Big Picture:
Extreme cellular diversity is the hallmark of glioblastoma, the deadliest brain tumor. This was reflected by the
historical name “glioblastoma multiforme,” which has a visibly mixed appearance of cells under the microscope,
confirmed at molecular level by modern profiling technologies. Janiszewska’s research aims to uncover the rules that make glioblastoma’s ecosystem so difficult to eradicate.
Under the Microscope
Janiszewska’s team uses cutting-edge technologies such as STAR-FISH—a single-cell imaging technique she pioneered—to visualize mutant cancer cells in their native
tissue environment. Her lab also integrates a technique called “spatial transcriptomics.” This maps gene activity in different tumor areas. Combined with computational modeling, these tools help reveal how cancer cells interact and adapt under therapeutic pressure.
Dialing In
Janiszewska investigates how the tumor microenvironment, including immune cells and those that build blood vessels, shapes disease progression and response to therapy.
Her recent research on the organization of cells around tumor blood vessels hints
at the evolution of recurrence, offering a possible target. Another recent study by Janiszewska, in collaboration with Wertheim UF Scripps chemist Ciaran Seath, Ph.D., shows that the differences in the tumor microenvironment among different regions of the tumor contribute to new molecular connections (protein interactions), which can likewise be targeted therapeutically.
Clinical Impacts
Janiszewska collaborates with clinicians and computational biologists to advance her work. By identifying the interactions among tumor cells and their supporting normal cells, her research could one day help guide clinical decisions and lead to more personalized cancer treatments. Janiszewska’s future work focuses on developing new therapies that target the whole tumor ecosystem. She is also exploring ways to disrupt the tumor microenvironment to prevent cancer from adapting to treatment.
The Takeaway
By cracking the code of cancer evolution, Janiszewska is shaping a future where cancer therapies are more adaptive, precise and capable of delivering long-term success. Her research brings the field closer to a new era in precision oncology, one where treatment strategies evolve as quickly as the disease once did.
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