Research on cancer biology
All cancers develop as a result of uncontrolled growth of cells in the body. This loss of control is caused by the accumulation of faults or mutations in important genes including oncogenes and tumour suppressor genes.
Cancer Research UK-funded scientists are at the forefront of studying the biology of cancer cells. They have already made tremendous contributions to this area through investigating key genes and proteins, including p53, BRAF and APC.
Our researchers continue to investigate how these faulty molecules work together to promote cancer development. This work is essential for improving our understanding of cancer and will form the basis for developing new ways to prevent, diagnose and treat different forms of the disease.
Below are some of the highlights of our cancer biology research portfolio.
All cancer types
Dr Simon Boulton
DNA Damage Response Laboratory
London Research Institute, London
Understanding how cells repair DNA damage
Dr Simon Boulton leads the DNA Damage Response lab at our London Research Institute. Damage to DNA - our genetic code - is at the heart of cancer development. Dr Boulton is investigating how cells normally sense DNA damage and repair it accurately. This cutting-edge work is providing valuable insights into what goes wrong in cancer cells.
Dr Julian Downward
Signal Transduction Laboratory
London Research Institute, London
Understanding how communication goes wrong in cancer cells
Dr Julian Downward leads the Signal Transduction Laboratory at our London Research Institute. He is studying genes and proteins within cancer cells to find out how communication pathways break down in cancer. This work is improving our understanding of what goes wrong in cancer and revealing new ways to treat the disease.
Dr Eyal Gottlieb
Apoptosis and Tumour Metabolism Group
Beatson Institute for Cancer Research, Glasgow
Understanding the 'power stations' in cancer cells
Because cancer cells grow faster than normal cells, they have a high demand for energy and oxygen. Dr Eyal Gottlieb, who leads a research group at the Beatson Institute for Cancer Research, is investigating the energy production 'machinery' in cancer cells, and developing ways to target it in order to treat cancer.
Prof Bass Hassan
Department of Medical Oncology
Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine, Oxford
Blocking growth signals to beat cancer
Professor Bass Hassan at The Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine is investigating the faulty signals that drive cancer cell growth. He is also developing new cancer treatments that aim to block the action of these key growth signals.
Prof Ronald Hay
School of Life Sciences
University of Dundee, Dundee
What do SUMOs do in cells?
Professor Ronald Hay and his team at the University of Dundee are looking inside cells to find out what goes wrong in cancer. They are studying a group of proteins called SUMOs that latch onto other proteins and change their behaviour.
Prof Steve Jackson
The Wellcome Trust/Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute of Cancer and Developmental Biology
University of Cambridge, Cambridge
Understanding DNA repair
Professor Steve Jackson is an award-winning scientist, who has been funded by Cancer Research UK for over 15 years. He is Head of Cancer Research UK Laboratories at the Wellcome Trust/Cancer Research UK Gurdon Institute, where he leads a research team making incredible progress in understanding the important role of DNA repair and its link with cancer. Some of Professor Jackson's discoveries have already been developed into new treatments for cancer, and others are being tested in clinical trials.
Prof Yvonne Jones
Division of Structural Biology
Wellcome Trust Centre for Human Genetics, Oxford
Studying the shape and structure of proteins
Professor Yvonne Jones is a leading expert in the field of 'structural biology' - studying the shape of molecules. She directs our Receptor Structure Research Group in Oxford, which is investigating proteins on the surface of cells that play key roles in cancer. This information will help researchers to develop new cancer drugs that target these proteins.
Prof Tony Kouzarides
Department of Pathology
Gurdon Institute of Cancer and Developmental Biology, Cambridge
Throwing the switch: turning cancer genes on and off
Professor Tony Kouzarides and his team at The Gurdon Institute are studying how genes are switched on and off in healthy cells, and why this goes wrong in cancer.
Prof David Lane
Cancer Research UK Cell Transformation Research Group and Department of Surgery and Molecular Oncology
University of Dundee, Dundee
Using molecular knowledge of cancer to develop new treatments
Professor Sir David Lane is one of the world's leading cancer researchers, and has been appointed Cancer Research UK's first Chief Scientist. His work has been funded by the charity for more than 30 years, and in 1979 he discovered the p53 protein, which plays a central role in preventing cancer. He and his team are now investigating ways to turn our knowledge about the molecules involved in cancer - including p53 - into life-saving treatments for the disease. Professor Lane has won many international prizes and awards for his outstanding work in this field.
Prof Peter Parker
Protein Phosphorylation Laboratory
Cancer Research UK London Research Institute, London
Deciphering the signals in cancer cells
Professor Peter Parker, based at our London Research Institute, is studying the signals that tell cells when to multiply or die. These signals are often faulty in cancer, causing cells to grow out of control.
Dr Nic Tapon
Apoptosis and Proliferation Control Laboratory
London Research Institute, London
Studying the balance between life and death
Dr Nic Tapon leads a research group at our London Research Institute. He is studying the genes and proteins that control the growth and death of the cells that make up our bodies. A greater understanding of these key processes will highlight ways in which they might go wrong in cancer cells.
Bowel cancer
Prof Inke Näthke
Cell and Developmental Biology
University of Dundee, Dundee
The role of APC in bowel cancer
Professor Inke Näthke, based at the University of Dundee, is investigating a gene called APC, which is faulty in many cases of bowel cancer. Professor Näthke is particularly interested in the role of APC in cell movement and cell division because these important processes are disrupted in cancer cells.
Prof Trevor Dale
School of Biosciences
Cardiff University, Cardiff
Studying gene faults involved in liver and bowel cancer
Professor Trevor Dale and his team at the University of Cardiff are investigating faults in important genes that can lead to bowel or liver cancer. By understanding more about these faulty genes, Professor Dale's work is paving the way for new treatments for these diseases.
Dr Owen Sansom
Wnt Signalling and Colorectal Cancer Group
Beatson Institute for Cancer Research, Glasgow
Understanding the molecular mistakes in bowel cancer
Dr Owen Sansom heads a research group at our Beatson Institute for Cancer Research. He and his team are investigating the molecular changes that happen in bowel cells that ultimately lead to bowel cancer. Finding out more about how it develops will help scientists to find new ways to prevent and treat the disease.
Dr Doug Winton
Stem Cell Biology of the Intestine Group
Cambridge Research Institute, Cambridge
Studying stem cells in bowel cancer
Dr Doug Winton runs a research group at our Cambridge Research Institute. He and his team are investigating how stem cells can fuel the growth of bowel cancer.
Breast cancer
Prof Paul Harkin
Centre for Cancer Research and Cell Biology
Queen's University, Belfast
Understanding more about the BRCA1 gene
Professor Paul Harkin is Professor of Molecular Oncology at Queen's University Belfast. He is investigating the function of an important gene called BRCA1. Faults in this gene cause some inherited breast cancers. The gene is also often found to be damaged in breast cancers that occur by chance. Understanding more about how BRCA1 works may help scientists to design better cancer treatments.
Liver cancer
Prof Trevor Dale
School of Biosciences
Cardiff University, Cardiff
Studying gene faults involved in liver and bowel cancer
Professor Trevor Dale and his team at the University of Cardiff are investigating faults in important genes that can lead to bowel or liver cancer. By understanding more about these faulty genes, Professor Dale's work is paving the way for new treatments for these diseases.
Skin cancer
Prof Fiona Watt
Epithelial Cell Biology
Cambridge Research Institute, Cambridge
Getting under the skin
Professor Fiona Watt, the Deputy Director of our Cambridge Research Institute, is studying normal skin cells in order to understand what goes wrong in skin cancer. In particular, she is carrying out pioneering research into skin stem cells. These long-lived cells can multiply to produce many different types of skin cell and are believed to play a central role in the development of skin cancer.
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