Stewart Lab

Senescence | Cancer | Immunotherapy | Therapy-induced Comorbidities | Age-related Cancer Drivers

Age remains the largest risk factor for the development of cancer, begging the question, what about aging drives the rapid increase in cancer we see in the 5th to 6th decade of life? While the answer is complicated, the Stewart laboratory focuses on how age-related changes in the tumor microenvironment contribute to tumor progression. This work includes delving into the mechanisms that drive senescence and secretion of pro-tumorigenic senescence associated secretory phenotype (SASP) factors. In addition, given senescent stromal cells recapitulate the phenotypes of cancer associated fibroblasts (CAFs), the laboratory also studies these important cells in both the primary and metastatic setting.