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The Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research

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  • Our Science
    • Tumour Specialisms and Clinical Trials
    • Disciplinary Strengths
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    • Major Research Programmes
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    • Princess Margaret Cancer Centre
    • Summer Research Programme
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In This Section
  • Therapy Resistance
  • DNA Damage Signalling
  • Tumour Microenvironment Biology
  • Tumour Epidemiology and Early Detection

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  • The Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research
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  • Tumour Microenvironment Biology

Tumour Microenvironment Biology

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Disciplinary strengths
Tumour Microenvironment Biology

The development of a complex tumour microenvironment by tumour cells and co-opted immune and stromal cells represent a key determinant of cancer progression and response to therapy. Moreover, the microenvironmental communication networks are instrumental in the development of metastasis.

Our research within the PGJCCR in this area brings together interest in the cellular phenotypes, metabolism, proteolysis and cell to cell signalling that underpin the development of the tumour microenvironment.  This includes:

  • the contribution of the microvasculature and inflammatory cells on organ remodelling  and metastasis (Branco)
  • the immunomodulatory role of proteases and anti-proteases in tumour-associated inflammation (Small, Scott)
  • impacts of epigenetics on the inflammatory microenvironment (LaBonte-Wilson)
  • the effects of adipocytes and lipids on organelle biogenesis, membrane contact sites and metabolic adaptation in tumour cells (Evergren)
  • microenvironmental impact on radiotherapy response including inflammatory-driven responses in normal tissues (Butterworth)
  • anti-viral effects induced by innate sensing of DNA damage e.g. cGAS-STING pathway drug deposition and immune cell targeting (Scott)

In exploring these questions, we employ a wide range of models that recapitulate aspects of the tumour and metastatic microenvironments, from complex physiological models such as patient-derived xenografts and syngeneic mouse models, to tumour explant cultures and cell-based metabolism methodologies. Effects on the tumour microenvironment are characterised using multi-scale approaches including subcellular imaging, high-throughput sequencing and informatics, whole animal imaging and proteomics.

Principal Investigator Links

Dr Cristina Branco Dr Melissa LaBonte Wilson
Prof Chris Scott Dr Donna Small
Dr Emma Evergren Dr Eileen Parkes
Dr Karl Butterworth Dr Rich Williams

Genomics 800

Disciplinary Strengths
  • Disciplinary Strengths
  • Therapy Resistance
  • DNA Damage Signalling
  • Tumour Microenvironment Biology
  • Tumour Epidemiology and Early Detection
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Contact Us

The Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research

Queen's University Belfast
97 Lisburn Road
Belfast
BT9 7AE

Phone: +44 (0) 28 9097 2760
Email: pgjccr@qub.ac.uk  
Fax: +44 (0) 28 9097 2776

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