Tumour Microenvironment
Understanding how to manipulate a tumour's microenvironment and how can use this understanding for therapeutic gain.
Like any other cells in the body, tumour cells are influenced by blood vessels and the normal cells and molecules that surround and feed the tumour cells – the tumour microenvironment. In order to become established and to grow and spread, tumours need to develop specific capabilities: they must be able to move; remove obstructions to their growth and movement, such as the surrounding extracellular matrix; overcome the immune system and blood-borne cells of the immune system so that they can survive in blood vessels; and establish successfully in their new tissue environment.
In order to achieve these functions, tumours recruit host machinery and proteins involved in normal cell growth including transcription factors. The tumour microenvironment provides the signals that activate transcription factors. Therefore understanding how the tumour microenvironment affects cancer cell behaviour and how it contributes to a cancer cell’s response to ionising radiation is essential in understanding how to prevent the establishment, growth and progression of cancers and how to exploit the tumour microenvironment for therapeutic gain.
Groups within this theme
Vincenzo D'Angiolella
Nicola Sibson
Anderson Ryan
Gillies McKenna
Ester Hammond
Geoffrey Higgins
Research Theme Lead Investigators
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Ester Hammond
Professor of Molecular Cancer Biology
ester.hammond@oncology.ox.ac.uk
+44 (0)1865 617320
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Amato Giaccia
Director, Oxford Institute for Radiation Oncology
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Alistair Easton
Senior Clinical Researcher
Latest News
Grant success for pancreatic cancer research
6 April 2018
Congratulations to Dr Bart Cornelissen of the CRUK/MRC Oxford Institute for Radiation Oncology, Department of Oncology who has secured a £200k grant from UK medical research charity, Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund (PCRF).