Prof Robert Brown

Cancer and research avatar

Epigenetics Team
Imperial College London and The Institute of Cancer Research
London

'Epigenetics' and the problem of drug resistance

Professor Robert Brown is currently investigating how some cancers, in particular ovarian cancers, become resistant to chemotherapy. Through this work, he is developing important new ways to overcome this huge problem of drug resistance. Professor Brown leads two research teams based at Imperial College London and The Institute of Cancer Research.

Professor Brown is a leading expert in the field of epigenetics. His research focuses on DNA methylation, a process whereby tags are added to certain genes to control whether they are switched on or off. Several researchers have shown that faulty DNA methylation can switch off important genes in cancer cells. For ovarian cancer in particular, this can make the cells resistant to chemotherapy drugs such as carboplatin.

His team is investigating a new drug called decitabine, which can remove methylation tags from the DNA. This drug may help to re-activate important genes in ovarian cancer cells and restore their sensitivity to chemotherapy. The researchers are carrying out an early-stage clinical trial to find out if a combination of decitabine and carboplatin can improve survival in women whose ovarian cancer has come back.

The scientists are also working in the lab to discover the faulty genes that may be contributing to drug resistance in ovarian and lung cancer cells. Through this research, they hope to discover new 'biomarkers', genes that can be used to predict how well different people will respond to chemotherapy. This will allow doctors to tailor treatments to individual patients more effectively.

Professor Brown is involved in several new drug discovery programmes that are building on his work in the lab. He collaborates with academic and industrial partners who provide vital 'gene profiling' and chemistry expertise. These links will ensure that Professor Brown's findings benefit cancer patients as soon as possible.

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