Understanding Cancer Metabolism
Cancer cells constantly rewire the way they generate and use energy to support growth, spread and resistance to therapy. MCW Cancer Center investigators study these metabolic changes to better understand what drives cancer and where its greatest vulnerabilities lie.
Researchers examine how cancer cells interact with immune cells, blood vessels and surrounding tissues, creating a metabolic ecosystem that can influence tumor growth and treatment response. This work informs new strategies to strengthen immunotherapies and overcome treatment resistance.
Through the Translational Metabolomics Shared Resource, investigators use advanced technologies to measure thousands of molecules, visualize metabolic activity and monitor how tumors respond to therapy.
By translating metabolic discoveries to patient care, MCW scientists are identifying biomarkers for earlier detection, improving treatment selection and developing therapies that target the metabolic pathways cancers depend on most. The goal is more precise, effective treatments tailored to each patient’s disease.
PET-MR Imaging
By combining high-resolution anatomical detail with molecular data, PET-MR (Positron Emission Tomography–Magnetic Resonance) imaging changes how we understand tumor biology. Guided by specialized radiotracers, this technology allows researchers and clinicians to look beyond static shapes to observe how a tumor actively functions. By mapping these cellular vulnerabilities, medical teams can evaluate treatment effectiveness far sooner than standard imaging allows.
Translational Metabolomics Shared Resource supports preclinical research and patient monitoring in clinical trials
MCW Cancer Center members have access to the Translational Metabolomics Shared Resource which combines expertise in mass spectrometry and bioenergetics, preclinical imaging, and clinical trial response assessment using artificial intelligence.
Black Patients with Bladder Cancer May Benefit from Mitochondria-Targeted Drugs
MCW Cancer Center scientists hope to obtain an investigational new drug status from the FDA and initiate clinical trials targeting mitochondrial metabolism that include patients with diverse racial and ethnic backgrounds.