Dissecting mechanisms of epigenetic reprogramming driving metastatic transition using cancer patient-derived organoids

Cancer development is a convoluted biological process that reshapes cellular identity. Genetic mutations are crucial in driving such process, yet fail to fully explain metastatic transition—a critical step in cancer evolution. For this reason, reprogramming driven by non-mutational epigenetic changes is increasingly recognized as a potential mechanism by which cancer cells acquire metastatic properties. Despite the genetic heterogeneity, specific transcriptional programs are activated to promote the acquisition of such properties. Therefore, understanding the role of changes at the chromatin level in facilitating metastatic transitions becomes crucial.To address this, I will use patient-derived organoids (PDOs) generated from primary colon cancer and various metastatic sites. PDOs are an optimal model system available in the hosting laboratory, providing a platform for investigation and subsequent functional validation. The project’s first goal is to profile changes in histone modifications and in the enhancer interactome, in primary and metastasis PDOs. This will identify chromatin states transitions and cis-regulatory elements with a key relevance in metastatic progression and maintenance (Aim 1). Transcription factors (TFs) with potential regulatory roles in these processes will be identified by integrating chromatin accessibility data and performing footprinting analysis (Aim 2). Functional validation of candidate TFs will be conducted using CRISPR perturbations, combined with single-cell multi-omic readout and in-vitro assays to assess PDOs' fitness and invasiveness potential (Aim 3). Altogether, in this project we will employ a comprehensive approach to investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying the activation of pro-metastatic gene regulatory networks, providing insights into the epigenetic drivers of metastatic transitions.