Translational cancer research

Ras-induced reactive oxygen species promote growth factor-independent proliferation in human CD34+ hematopoietic progenitor cells.
Hole PS, Pearn L, Tonks AJ, James PE, Burnett AK, Darley RL, Tonks A, Blood , Volume 115 , 6 (February 2010) pp.1238-1246

Common variants at 2q37.3, 8q24.21, 15q21.3 and 16q24.1 influence chronic lymphocytic leukemia risk
Crowther-Swanepoel D, Broderick P, Di Bernardo MC, Dobbins SE, Torres M, Mansouri M, Ruiz-Ponte C, Enjuanes A, Rosenquist R, Carracedo A, Jurlander J, Campo E, Juliusson G, Montserrat E, Smedby KE, Dyer MJS, Matutes E, Dearden C, Sunter NJ, Hall AG, Mainou-Fowler T, Jackson GH, Summerfield G, Harris RJ, Pettitt AR, Allsup DJ, Bailey JR, Pratt G, Pepper C, Fegan C, Parker A, Oscier D, Allan JM, Catovsky D, Houlston RS, Nat Genet , Volume 42 , 2 (February 2010) pp.132-U59

Employ data from basic studies on developmental dysregulation in leukaemia and pre-leukaemia to identify new therapeutic targets/agents and take these onto phase 1 and 2 clinical trials.
Prof Alan Burnett, Dr Richard Darley and Dr Steven Knapper Dr Alex Tonks, Haematology dept

Use the above approach as a paradigm for similar work on solid tumours, focusing on colorectal, breast and prostate cancers.
Prof Tim Maughan, Prof Wen Jiang and Prof Malcolm Mason, MARG Metastasis and Angiogenesis Research Group and Oncology and Palliative care

Further development the Wales Cancer Bank as a resource for bolt-on biological (molecular marker) studies using samples from trials.
Prof Malcolm Mason and Wales Cancer Bank

For colorectal cancer, to build on our success, in leading major national/international trials, to identify the genetic determinants, underlying response to, and side effects from, chemotherapy.
Prof Julian Sampson and Prof Jeremy Cheadle, Medical Genetics dept

To study the mTOR signalling pathway and the efficacy/safety of rapamycin therapy.
Dr Andrew Tee and Prof Julian Sampson, Medical Genetics dept

To identify and validate novel biomarkers of CLL prognosis including proteins RelA and Mel-1 and continue developing novel pre-clinical agents into early phase clinical trial examples include Bcl-2 antisense, the cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor flavopiridol and the NF-kB inhibitor LC1.
Dr Chris Pepper, Haematology dept

To investigate immune surveillance and evasion mechanisms, tumour antigen recognition, and the translation of these findings into novel immunotherapies
Dr Aled Clayton, Dr Rossen Donev and Dr Matthias Eberl Dr Awen Gallimore, Dr Andrew Godkin and Dr Stephen Man Prof Andrew Sewell and Dr Zsuzsanna Tabi, Cancer Immunology Group

To improve diagnosis and treatment of Human Papillomavirus associated disease, through basic research and clinical trials of novel treatments.
Prof Alison Fiander, Dr Amanda Tristram and Dr Ned Powell,
- HPV Research Group

Extreme telomere erosion in ATM-mutated and 11q-deleted CLL patients is independent of disease stage.
Britt-Compton B, Lin TT, Ahmed G, Weston V, Jones RE, Fegan C, Oscier DG, Stankovic T, Pepper C, Baird DM, Leukemia, Volume 26, 4 (April 2012) pp.826-830
Expression of CD200 on AML blasts directly suppresses memory T-cell function.
Coles SJ, Hills RK, Wang EC, Burnett AK, Man S, Darley RL, Tonks A, Leukemia (March 2012)
Increased CD200 expression in acute myeloid leukemia is linked with an increased frequency of FoxP3(+) regulatory T cells.
Coles SJ, Hills RK, Wang EC, Burnett AK, Man S, Darley RL, Tonks A, Leukemia (March 2012)
Expansion of a CD8(+)PD-1(+) replicative senescence phenotype in early stage CLL patients is associated with inverted CD4:CD8 ratios and disease progression.
Nunes C, Wong R, Mason M, Fegan C, Man S, Pepper C, Clin Cancer Res, Volume 18, 3 (February 2012) pp.678-687
Assessing the malignant potential of ovarian inclusion cysts in postmenopausal women within the UK Collaborative Trial of Ovarian Cancer Screening (UKCTOCS): a prospective cohort study.
Sharma A, Gentry-Maharaj A, Burnell M, Fourkala EO, Campbell S, Amso N, Seif MW, Ryan A, Parmar M, Jacobs I, Menon U, UK Collaborative Trial of Ovarian Cancer Screening (UKCTOCS) None, Bjog, Volume 119, 2 (January 2012) pp.207-219

School of Medicine