Preparation of a User-Defined Peptide Gel for Controlled 3D Culture Models of Cancer and Disease (2020)
Journal Article
Ashworth, J. C., Morgan, R. L., Lis-Slimak, K., Jones, S., Spence, K., Slater, C. E., …Merry, C. L. R. (2020). Preparation of a User-Defined Peptide Gel for Controlled 3D Culture Models of Cancer and Disease. Journal of Visualized Experiments, 166, Article e61710. https://doi.org/10.3791/61710

There is a growing awareness that cells grown in 3D better model in vivo behavior than those grown in 2D. In this protocol, we describe a simple and tunable 3D hydrogel, suitable for culturing cells and tissue in a setting that matches their native e... Read More about Preparation of a User-Defined Peptide Gel for Controlled 3D Culture Models of Cancer and Disease.

Using Light for Therapy of Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM) (2020)
Journal Article
Kasparov, Vasilev, Teschemacher, Sofi, Smith, & Rahman, R. (2020). Using Light for Therapy of Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM). Brain Sciences, 10(2), Article 75. https://doi.org/10.3390/brainsci10020075

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most malignant form of primary brain tumour with extremely poor prognosis. The current standard of care for newly diagnosed GBM includes maximal surgical resection followed by radiotherapy and adjuvant chemotherap... Read More about Using Light for Therapy of Glioblastoma Multiforme (GBM).

Enhanced glutamine uptake influences composition of immune cell infiltrates in breast cancer (2019)
Journal Article
Ansari, R. E., Craze, M. L., Althobiti, M., Alfarsi, L., Ellis, I. O., Rakha, E. A., & Green, A. R. (2019). Enhanced glutamine uptake influences composition of immune cell infiltrates in breast cancer. British Journal of Cancer, 122(1), 94–101. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41416-019-0626-z

Background: Cancer cells must alter their metabolism to support proliferation. Immune evasion also plays a role in supporting tumour progression. This study aimed to find whether enhanced glutamine uptake in breast cancer (BC) can derive the existenc... Read More about Enhanced glutamine uptake influences composition of immune cell infiltrates in breast cancer.

Glutamate dehydrogenase (GLUD1) expression in breast cancer (2018)
Journal Article
Craze, M. L., El-Ansari, R., Aleskandarany, M. A., Cheng, K. W., Al-Farsi, L., Masisi, B., …Green, A. R. (2019). Glutamate dehydrogenase (GLUD1) expression in breast cancer. Breast Cancer Research and Treatment, 174(1), 79–91. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10549-018-5060-z

Dysregulated cellular metabolism is regarded as one of the hallmarks of cancer with some tumours utilising the glutamine metabolism pathway for their sustained proliferation and survival. Glutamate dehydrogenase (GLUD1) is a key enzyme in glutaminoly... Read More about Glutamate dehydrogenase (GLUD1) expression in breast cancer.

Cancer reversion with oocyte extracts is mediated by cell cycle arrest and induction of tumour dormancy (2018)
Journal Article
Saad, N., Alberio, R., Johnson, A. D., Emes, R. D., Giles, T. C., Clarke, P., …Allegrucci, C. (2018). Cancer reversion with oocyte extracts is mediated by cell cycle arrest and induction of tumour dormancy. Oncotarget, 9(22), 16008-16027. https://doi.org/10.18632/oncotarget.24664

Inducing stable control of tumour growth by tumour reversion is an alternative approach to cancer treatment when eradication of the disease cannot be achieved. The process requires re-establishment of normal control mechanisms that are lost in canc... Read More about Cancer reversion with oocyte extracts is mediated by cell cycle arrest and induction of tumour dormancy.

Androgen dependent mechanisms of pro-angiogenic networks in placental and tumor development (2017)
Journal Article
Metzler, V. M., de Brot, S., Robinson, R. S., Jeyapalan, J. N., Rakha, E., Walton, T., …Mongan, N. P. (2017). Androgen dependent mechanisms of pro-angiogenic networks in placental and tumor development. Placenta, 56, 79-85. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.placenta.2017.02.018

The placenta and tumors share important characteristics, including a requirement to establish effective angiogenesis. In the case of the placenta, optimal angiogenesis is required to sustain the blood flow required to maintain a successful pregnancy,... Read More about Androgen dependent mechanisms of pro-angiogenic networks in placental and tumor development.

HOXC8 regulates self-renewal, differentiation and transformation of breast cancer stem cells (2017)
Journal Article
Shah, M., Cardenas, R., Wang, B., Persson, J., Mongan, N. P., Grabowska, A. M., & Allegrucci, C. (2017). HOXC8 regulates self-renewal, differentiation and transformation of breast cancer stem cells. Molecular Cancer, 16(38), https://doi.org/10.1186/s12943-017-0605-z

Background: Homeobox genes are master regulators of cell fate during embryonic development and their expression is altered in cancer. By regulating the balance between cell proliferation and differentiation, they maintain homeostasis of normal tissue... Read More about HOXC8 regulates self-renewal, differentiation and transformation of breast cancer stem cells.

Cyclin A1 and P450 aromatase promote metastatic homing and growth of stem-like prostate cancer cells in the bone marrow (2016)
Journal Article
Miftakhova, R., Hedblom, A., Semenas, J., Robinson, B. D., Simoulis, A., Malm, J., …Persson, J. L. (2016). Cyclin A1 and P450 aromatase promote metastatic homing and growth of stem-like prostate cancer cells in the bone marrow. Cancer Research, 76(8), 2453-2464. https://doi.org/10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-15-2340

Bone metastasis is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in prostate cancer (PCa). While cancer stem-like cells have been implicated as a cell of origin for PCa metastases, the pathways which enable metastatic development at distal sites remain... Read More about Cyclin A1 and P450 aromatase promote metastatic homing and growth of stem-like prostate cancer cells in the bone marrow.

Regulation of vascular endothelial growth factor in prostate cancer (2015)
Journal Article
de Brot, S., Ntekim, A., Cardenas, R., James, V., Allegrucci, C., Heery, D. M., …Mongan, N. P. (2015). Regulation of vascular endothelial growth factor in prostate cancer. Endocrine-Related Cancer, 22(3), Article R107-R123. https://doi.org/10.1530/ERC-15-0123

Prostate cancer (PCa) is the most common malignancy affecting men in the western world. Although radical prostatectomy and radiation therapy can successfully treat PCa in the majority of patients, up to ?30% will experience local recurrence or metast... Read More about Regulation of vascular endothelial growth factor in prostate cancer.

Keeping an open mind: highlights and controversies of the breast cancer stem cell theory (2012)
Journal Article
Shah, M., & Allegrucci, C. (2012). Keeping an open mind: highlights and controversies of the breast cancer stem cell theory. Breast Cancer: Targets and Therapy, 2012(4), https://doi.org/10.2147/BCTT.S26434

The discovery that breast cancers contain stem-like cells has fuelled exciting research in the last few years. These cells are referred to as breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs) and are thought to be involved in tumor initiation, progression, and metast... Read More about Keeping an open mind: highlights and controversies of the breast cancer stem cell theory.