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Angiogenesis research

Angiogenesis is an essential part of cancer development. All cancers rely on the growth of new blood vessels to supply the cells with vital nutrients and oxygen. Without this new blood supply, a tumour can’t grow beyond the size of a pinhead.

Scientists across the world are looking to exploit this Achilles’ heel of cancer by developing drugs to block angiogenesis. And some of these, including Avastin, are already being used to treat people with certain types of cancer.

Several of our scientists are at the forefront of research in this field. Their projects range from investigating the molecules involved in new blood vessel growth through to developing and testing new anti-angiogenesis drugs in clinical trials.

Below are some of the highlights of our angiogenesis research portfolio.

All cancer types

Dr Kairbaan Hodivala-Dilke Dr Kairbaan Hodivala-Dilke

Institute of Cancer

Barts & The London School of Medicine & Dentistry, London

Targeting blood vessel growth for cancer treatment

Dr Kairbaan Hodivala-Dilke is head of the Angiogenesis Laboratory in the Centre for Tumour Biology. She is studying how new blood vessels form, a process called angiogenesis. All cancers rely on new blood vessels to supply the tumour cells with essential nutrients and oxygen, so discovering different ways to block angiogenesis is the first step on the road to developing new cancer drugs.

Prof David Bates Prof David Bates

Department of Physiology

University of Bristol, Bristol

Stopping the growth and spread of cancer

Professor David Bates works at the University of Bristol investigating a molecule found in cancer cells called VEGF, which is involved in the growth of blood vessels. We know that certain drugs can block VEGF and make some tumours grow more slowly. Professor Bates' lab is investigating why these drugs work well in some patients but not in others.

Prof Adrian Harris Prof Adrian Harris

Cancer Research UK Medical Oncology Department

Churchill Hospital, Oxford

Targeting a cancer's blood supply

All cancers need to develop their own blood supply in order to keep growing. Professor Adrian Harris' research group based at the Weatherall Institute for Molecular Medicine is studying this process of new blood vessel growth, called angiogenesis, in great detail. 

Prof Chris Marshall Prof Chris Marshall

Cancer Research UK Centre for Cell and Molecular Biology

The Institute of Cancer Research, London

How do cancer cells grow and spread?

Professor Chris Marshall is the Director of the Cancer Research UK Centre for Cell and Molecular Biology, which is at the forefront of UK research into the molecular causes of cancer. Professor Marshall leads the Oncogene Team, which is studying the communication pathways within cancer cells that determine how they behave. Central to his research are two groups of related proteins called 'Ras' and 'Rho'.

Prof Gillian Tozer Prof Gillian Tozer

Tumour Microcirculation group

University of Sheffield, Sheffield

Targeting the blood supply in tumours

Professor Gillian Tozer runs the Tumour Microcirculation Group at the University of Sheffield. She and her team are investigating the way that blood vessels grow within a tumour - a process known as angiogenesis.  They are seeking new ways of targeting this process in order to develop better treatments for cancer.

 

Ovarian cancer

Prof Gordon Jayson Prof Gordon Jayson

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.

Prof Jonathan Ledermann Prof Jonathan Ledermann

Cancer Research UK and UCL Cancer Trials Centre

University College London, London

Improving treatments for ovarian cancer

Professor Jonathan Ledermann is leading an international clinical trial of a new treatment for women with ovarian cancer. This disease often becomes resistant to chemotherapy, making it difficult to treat. The new drug could help to block blood vessel growth and so starve the cancer cells.

 

Stomach cancer

Prof David Cunningham Prof David Cunningham

Department of Medicine

The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London

Improving treatments for stomach cancer

Professor David Cunningham and his team at the Royal Marsden Hospital carry out clinical trials to test new treatments for stomach cancer. They are currently testing a new anti-cancer drug that works by blocking the growth of new blood vessels, a process called angiogenesis.