Research teams within Medicine undertake world-leading research into understanding the biology of tumours at the cellular level. Research interests range from understanding fundamental mechanisms of cell biology and how they become perturbed to promote the development of cancer, through to the translation of this knowledge for the benefit of cancer patients by, for example, bettering our understanding of the mechanisms of action of both currently available and experimental anti-cancer drugs.
A particular strength of research into Tumour Biology at the University of Southampton is the interdisciplinary nature of the work that is undertaken. There are highly productive collaborations, between laboratory-based cancer researchers, clinicians who specialist in treating cancer patients, and research teams with expertise in, for example, Medicinal Chemistry, Biophysical Sciences, and enabling technologies.
Southampton is a Cancer Research UK Centre, and the research facilities within the Somers Cancer Research Building and the adjoining the Tenovus Cancer Building form a point of focus for cancer research in Southampton. These well-equipped facilities form a home for many, though by no means all, of the research teams with interests ifn the biology of tumours.
Cancer is not a single disease; it can arise in many different tissues afnd organs, in response to a wide range of causes, both genetic and environmental. Much research in Southampton aims to understand cellular processes and therapeutic strategies with applicability to cancers in general, i.e. characteristics of tumours which have been dubbed "The Hallmarks of Cancer". Important discoveries have been made regarding not only the tumour cells themselves, but also how tumour cells interact with the surrounding normal tissues, such as the tumour stroma, and immune system. Other research focuses on specific tumour types, forf example colon cancer, breast cancer and leukaemia and lymphoma.
Examples of some of this ground-breaking research is listed below.
Tumour Biology in General
Cancer Genetics and Epigenetics:
Diana Eccles
,
Jonathan Strefford
,
Alex Mirnezami
,
Surinder Sahota
Cancer Stem Cells:
Surinder Sahota
,
Sandrine Willaime-Morawek
Cell Proliferation and Survival:
Graham Packham
,
Mark Cragg
,
Jeremy Blaydes
,
Andrew Steele
Intracellular Signalling Pathways and Gene Expression:
Graham Packham
,
Mark Cragg
,
Jeremy Blaydes
,
Andrew Steele
,
Emre Sayan
, Berna Sayan
Tumour-Microenvironment Interactions:
Gareth Thomas
,
Graham Packham
,
Tim Underwood
,
Andrew Steele
,
Delphin Boche
,
Stephen Beers
,
Sandrine Willaime-Morawek
Tumour Cell Differentiation:
Emre Sayan
Tumour Cell Invasion & Metastasis:
Gareth Thomas
,
Alex Mirnezami
,
Tim Underwood
,
Timothy Millar
,
Karwan Moutasim
Cancer Cell Metabolism:
Jeremy Blaydes
,
Ali Tavassoli
Therapeutics:
Graham Packham
,
Simon Crabb
,
Ali Tavassoli,
Jeremy Blaydes
,
Andrew Steele,
Ramsey Cutress
Tumour Models:
Gareth Thomas
,
Mark Cragg
,
Tim Underwood
,
Stephen Beers
Tissue-Specific Tumour Biology
Colon and the Gastro-intestinal Tract:
John Primrose
,
Alex Mirnezami
,
Tim Underwood
,
Gareth Thomas
,
Karwan Moutasim
Breast Cancer:
Diana Eccles
,
Ramsey Cutress
,
Jeremy Blaydes
,
Stephen Beers,
Ellen Copson
Leukaemia and Lymphoma:
Graham Packham
,
Andrew Steele
,
Mark Cragg
,
Freda Stevenson
,
Surinder Sahota
,
Andrew Davies
,
Jonathan Strefford
,
Francesco Forconi
,
David Oscier
,
Sean Lim
Skin Cancer and Melanoma:
Eugene Healy
Brain and Neurological Tumours:
Sandrine Willaime-Morawek
,
Delphine Boche
Urological Tumours including Bladder:
Simon Crabb
The picture is of a breast cancer cell that has just undergone cell division, with the green marking the cell membrane, the blue showing the DNA and the red showing the individual centromeres of the chromosomes