SpecialityFondazione Pisana per la Scienza, Pisa, IT

Cancer as a Complex SystemCancer is the second leading cause of death worldwide. Significant human, financial, and technological resources are dedicated to elucidating the mechanism of carcinogenesis and to disrupting this mechanism by therapeutic intervention. Among cancers, glioblastoma is one of the most aggressive with no cure to date and median survival of 15 months. Glioblastoma is characterized by a complex internal heterogeneity which makes it an “intelligent tumor” capable of adapting and evading any therapeutic intervention. New ways of dealing with it are crucially needed. Here we present some recent advances to resolve tumor complexity and gather new insights to improve patients' clinical management. We leverage advanced non-invasive imaging techniques that exploit the intrinsic molecular and behavioral characteristics of the tumor. Each patient's tumor is collected and preserved live so that it can be grown in culture and analyzed in an integral and personalized way with the aim to develop tailor-made therapies.