Dr Hannah V Siddle is Lecturer in Molecular Biology within Biological Sciences at the University of Southampton.
Career History
2013-present: Lecturer in Molecular Biology, University of Southampton, UK. 2011-2013: EMBO Postdoctoral Research Fellow. University of Cambridge, UK. 2009-2011: NHMRC Postdoctoral Research Fellow. University of Cambridge, UK.
Academic Qualifications
2005-2009: PhD (Evolutionary genomics and genetics). University of Sydney, NSW, Australia. 1999-2004: Bachelor of Science (Hons Class I/Bachelor of Law). Macquarie University, NSW, Australia.
Research
Publications
Teaching
Contact
Research interests
What happens when cancer becomes an infectious disease?
Cancer is not usually an infectious disease, but in some cases tumour cells acquire the ability to pass between individuals in a population. These cancers can be deadly to the species they infect and also challenge our understanding of how tumours grow and develop. There are four naturally occurring contagious cancers, Canine Transmissible venereal Tumour (CTVT) in dogs, a leukemia in clams and two distinct cancers among Tasmanian devils, Devil Facial Tumour 1 (DFT1) and Devil Facial Tumour 2 (DFT2).
Because the adaptive immune system will readily destroy cells from genetically disparate individuals (as occurs during transplant rejection), it should not be possible for cancer cells to spread through a wild population. The proteins responsible for transplant rejection are called Major Histocompatibility Complex (MHC) molecules, which are variable between individuals in a population. These molecules bind to short proteins and deliver them to the surface of all cells where they are scanned by circulating immune cells (e.g. T cells). MHC/peptide complexes are essential for communicating to the immune system that a cell is self, non-self, infected or malignant.
We are particularly interested in the two contagious cancers that circulate in the Tasmanian devil population, DFT1 and DFT2. These tumour cells pass between individuals during biting behavior and tumours form predominantly around the face and neck of infected animals, growing rapidly and causing close to 100% mortality. What began with one individual has now killed many thousands and the Tasmanian devil is listed as an endangered species.
Our research is focused on why and how the MHC system ‘breaks down’ in the case of contagious cancers and has two primary goals. First, we are working on developing a peptide vaccine that could be used to protect the Tasmanian devil in the wild, preventing extinction of this species. Second, our research will enhance our understanding of how cancers avoid the immune system, which could have implications for cancer treatment in humans.
Media articles on contagious cancers, immune evasion and vaccine strategies:
Saving The Devil An interactive multimedia from the Your Genome site of the Wellcome Genome Campus, which tells the story of Devil Facial Tumour Disease and outlines what we are doing to save the species. It is aimed at primary school children.
Investigation of the molecular mechanisms behind immune escape and recognition of a contagious cancer. Supervisors: Dr Hannah Siddle and Professor Tim Elliott Funded by the Gerald Kerkut Charitable Trust
Cancer is not usually an infectious disease, but in some cases tumour cells acquire the ability to pass between individuals in a population. We are particularly interested in the two contagious cancers that circulate in the Tasmanian devil population, DFT1 and DFT2. Our research is focused on why and how the MHC system ‘breaks down’ in the case of contagious cancers.
Pye, R. J., Pemberton, D., Tovar, C., Tubio, J. M. C., Dun, K. A., Fox, S., Darby, J., Hayes, D., Knowles, G. W., Kreiss, A., Siddle, H. V. T., Swift, K., Lyons, A. B., Murchison, E. P., & Woods, G. M. (2016). A second transmissible cancer in Tasmanian devils. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 113(2), 374-379. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1519691113
Dr Hannah V Siddle School of Biological Sciences Faculty of Environmental and Life Sciences Life Sciences Building 85 University of Southampton Highfield Campus Southampton SO17 1BJ
