CCBIO will focus on tumor-microenvironment interactions in primary and metastatic lesions that can define and predict cancer progression patterns and aggressive tumor features.
The center will study how cross-talk between tumor cells and various cell types in the tumor microenvironment reflect cancer complexity and heterogeneity, and determine cancer prognosis, beyond what is given by the accumulation of genetic alterations in tumor cells.

By three overlapping research programs, CCBIO will re-focus its cancer research into the following fields, each with specific projects.

• Mechanisms of Tumor Micro-environment Interactions
• Exploration and Validation of Cancer Biomarkers
• Clinical Applications and Trial Studies

Biomedical project areas have been supplemented with integrated ethics and economy projects, focused on how to prioritize and fund expensive cancer treatment in the era of expanding
and costly personalized medicine. New collaboration partners, both national and international, have been included to support our efforts.