Mutation and organ dependencies in cancer

Tumor microenvironments are shaped by cancer mutations and organ dependencies. Organ identity defines the fundamental structure and composition of the microenvironment, and is a crucial determinant of susceptibility and plasticity. Cancer mutations introduce new stresses, paracrine signals, and unexpected challenges that massively reshape these microenvironments. The overwhelming effect of certain cancer mutations may be such that different organs exposed to similar cancer mutations will assume similar microenvironmental compositions. Our goal is to define the factors that reshape normal tissues and organs into protumorigenic microenvironments. We identify cancer mutations and organ identity as the main factors in this process and ask whether specific cancer-derived signals reshape different organs in similar manners.