COMPUTATIONAL SYSTEMS BIOLOGY APRROACH TO IDENTIFY EXTRACELLULAR MATRIX AND CHROMATIN INTERACTIONS

Abstract

In cancer, ECM undergoes remodeling that can be both protective and conducive to tumorigenesis. ECM can induce broad transcriptional changes in the cell by altering the chromatin state through signal and mechano-transduction. However, precisely how the specific ECM components interact with specific CM components in different contexts is far from understood. We hypothesize that these physical and functional interactions between ECM and CM can be identified and studied in different tissue contexts by leveraging large publicly available molecular and functional datasets. Deciphering the context-specific role of ECM-CM interactions in cancer and healthy tissues will add to our understanding of tumorigenesis and may lead to biomarkers that aid in patient stratification and improve treatment outcomes.