Prof Roland Wolf

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Cancer Research UK Molecular Pharmacology Laboratory
University of Dundee
Dundee

How do our genes affect sensitivity to drugs and the environment?

Professor Roland Wolf directs the Biomedical Research Centre at the University of Dundee. His research focuses on families of proteins that protect our cells from carcinogens in the environment and the effects of radiation and chemotherapy.

How are drugs processed by the body?

Professor Wolf is an international expert in drug metabolism - how drugs are processed by the body - and drug safety. His research particularly focuses on 'pharmacogenetics', a term used to describe how variations in a person's genes affect their response to drugs. Professor Wolf and his team are studying differences in the 'cytochrome P450' family of enzymes within the population.

The natural role of these enzymes is to guard against damage to the cell but they also affect how a drug works in the body. For example, these enzymes can determine how quickly a drug is broken down, which in turn, impacts on how effective the drug is against cancer.

Professor Wolf and his team also want to find out more about how the cytochrome P450 enzymes work and which other proteins affect their function in cells.

Investigating the causes of bowel cancer

Professor Wolf is investigating the genetic causes of bowel cancer. He is investigating how faults in key genes can disrupt critical pathways within normal cells.

Together with Professor Tim Bishop in Leeds, Professor Wolf is carrying out a study involving more than 500 bowel cancer patients to look for foods that can increase cancer risk. Individual variations in protective enzymes are also being recorded to find out how these differences act together with a person's diet to affect their cancer susceptibility.

Professor Wolf's research will increase our understanding of how a person's genetic makeup affects their chances of developing cancer and how well they will respond to chemotherapy. This work will contribute to improvements in both cancer prevention and treatment. In particular, if drugs can be better tailored to individuals, this will hopefully reduce side-effects and increase the likelihood of successful treatment.

In January 2010 Professor Wolf received Officers of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for services to science.

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