Silvia Affò is the leader of the new research group on Tumour microenvironment plasticity and heterogeneity (TMHet). Affò holds a degree in Biology from the University of Parma and got her PhD in Medicine with international honours from the University of Barcelona. Affò later moved to New York, USA, where she joined Dr Schwabe’s laboratory at Columbia University. There, she began to investigate cancer-associated fibroblasts in liver tumours, the complexity of the tumour microenvironment and their potential in treatment. Six years later, as a recipient of La Caixa’s Junior Leader grant, she joined the IDIBAPS research group on tissue repair and plasticity of liver cells led by Sancho Bru. Affò also received the ERC Starting grant in 2022 and is a Ramón y Cajal researcher.
The new group’s main objective is to investigate the plasticity and heterogeneity of the tumour microenvironment in desmoplastic tumours to develop new combined therapies directed not only at the tumour cells, but also at their microenvironment. Starting with liver tumours and metastasis, the group is interested in the interactions between the different cell types of liver tumours to decipher possible vulnerabilities of the tumour microenvironment that can be used as therapeutic targets.
You can find all the information on the group’s website.
