The Schwörer Lab is interested in understanding how nutrient availability and utilization regulate cell plasticity and cell type specific function.
To address this, we use fibroblasts as a model, as they are highly plastic and have a unique function (i.e., extracellular matrix production). Unlike cancer cells that are dictated by their oncogenic mutation, fibroblast state and function is fully responsive to environmental cues, such as signaling molecules, oxygen and the nutrients available to them.
The lab specifically focuses on cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) in pancreatic cancer, an aggressive tumor with abundant desmoplastic stroma and substantially altered nutrient availability.