Medicine and Dentistry
Research areas Centre for Cancer and Inflammation This Centre focuses on the links between cancer and inflammation. The overarching hypothesis that drives research in our Centre is that immune cells and mediators found in experimental and human cancers are more likely to promote cancer growth than be part of a host anti-tumour response. We believe that inhibition or re-alignment of this inflammatory process may be of therapeutic benefit. Our aim is to translate our laboratory research in chronic inflammation, cancer growth and spread into new treatments for cancer, especially ovarian cancer, and we are involved in several Phase I and Phase II clinical trials. We have excellent collaborations with the Departments of Gynaecological Oncology and Medical Oncology at Barts and The London NHS Hospitals. Research groups Cancer and Inflammation Group Leader: Professor Frances Balkwill This group aims to understand links between cancer and inflammation and translate this into novel clinical trials. Tumour Microenvironment Dr Thorsten Hagemann We aim to understand the fundamental mechanisms by which TNF-signalling promotes cancer; with particular reference to the role of macrophages and their phenotype in carcinogenesis. Staff research interests Professor Fran Balkwill PhD OBE FMedSci Centre Lead Links between cancer and inflammation, role of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines in cancer growth and spread and translating this information into novel clinical trials
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Thorsten Hagemann MD PhD Clinical Senior Lecturer Interaction of the leukocyte infiltrate with the tumour microenvironment, with particular reference to the role TNF-alpha in innate immunity and the prospect of turning macrophages and NK cells back into tumour killers Melania Capasso PhD Lecturer Basic functions of normal and malignant B cells, in particular how normal and malignant B cells are regulated by HVCN1, the mammalian voltage-gated proton channel.
Centre for Cell Signalling The Centre for Cell Signalling is a world-class centre of expertise in both basic and applied PI3K signalling. Uncontrolled PI3K signalling is one of the most commonly deregulated pathways in cancer. PI3Ks also play principal roles in inflammation, diabetes and other disease contexts, making these enzymes attractive targets for therapeutic intervention. The development of drugs that block PI3K action is being actively pursued by the pharmaceutical industry. Research groups Cell Signalling Group Leader: Professor Bart Vanhaesebroeck The main interests of this group include signal transduction in cell migration, proliferation, survival, intracellular vesicular transport, in the context of cancer, inflammation and immunology, angiogenesis, metabolism and stem cell biology. Collaborative efforts with industry are under way in the preclinical development of isoformselective small molecule inhibitors for PI3K. We aim to help to translate this preclinical work to early phase clinical trials through our links with the Centres for Medical Oncology and Experimental Cancer Medicine.