Abstract SY18-03: Single cells and therapy resistance in cancer

Abstract Cancer is a disease that originates from single cells, and the treatment of cancer also is a problem of single cells: anti-cancer therapies can often kill the vast majority of tumor cells but a few rare cells remain and grow despite treatment. Often, it is thought that the underlying basis for the behavior of these rare cells is a genetic difference. However, we and others have shown that non-genetic differences may be a key driver of rare, drug resistant cells, yet the precise molecular nature of these differences often remains mysterious. We here describe the development of a cellular “time machine” that allows us to link the ultimate cellular fate to the initial cellular state on a single cell basis, thus revealing markers for pre-resistant cells in the population. Further, we use genetic screening technologies to elucidate the pathways that control the formation of these rare cells and discuss their therapeutic implications. Citation Format: Arjun Raj. Single cells and therapy resistance in cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr SY18-03.