Prof Gordon Jayson

Cancer and research avatar

Translational Angiogenesis Laboratory
Christie Hospital NHS Trust
Manchester

New cancer treatments that block blood vessel growth

Gordon Jayson is Professor of Medical Oncology at the Christie Hospital in Manchester. His research focuses on new cancer treatments that block blood vessel growth and starve tumour cells of essential nutrients and oxygen. He is particularly interested in the use of these treatments for people with ovarian cancer.

Understanding angiogenesis drugs

The process of new blood vessel growth, called angiogenesis, is essential for tumour growth. Bevacizumab (Avastin), a drug that blocks this process, is already being used to treat people with bowel cancer that has spread.

A large international clinical trial called ICON-7 is now underway to test if the addition of bevacizumab to standard chemotherapy improves the outcome for women with ovarian cancer.

Professor Jayson is leading a large-scale lab study to analyse blood and tumour tissue samples taken from patients involved in this trial. The aim of this research is to find 'biomarkers', proteins whose levels can be measured to predict how individual patients will respond to treatment.

This type of information will allow doctors to tailor cancer drugs to patients to hopefully increase the success of ovarian cancer treatment in the future.

Developing new drugs to block angiogenesis

Professor Jayson is also looking for new ways to block angiogenesis and starve tumours of their blood supply. He is particularly interested in a family of proteins called fibroblast growth factors (FGFs) that can encourage new blood vessel growth.

The researchers have found that FGFs depend on another type of molecule called heparan sulfate to work properly and that disrupting this partnership can prevent angiogenesis. This information is being used to design and test new drugs as potential treatments for ovarian cancer.

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