Protein Targets and Calcium Signalling in Colorectal Liver Metastases

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    Protein Targets and Calcium Signalling Pathways as Targets for the Treatment of Colorectal Liver Metastases

  • IRAS ID

    152366

  • Contact name

    Peter Webster

  • Contact email

    ugm4pw@leeds.ac.uk

  • Research summary

    Bowel cancer that has spread to the liver has limited treatment options. Only around 20% of people with the disease are suitable for surgery. The remaining 80% of patients may have chemotherapy, which is not curative, living on average for only 21 months. New treatment modalities are urgently needed.

    The ability of this cancer to develop its own blood supply is crucial to its spread and survival. Over the last few years we have been investigating the role of calcium signalling in the cells that line the tumour blood vessels (endothelial cells), in human patients, under ethical approval granted in 2010. This work has yielded novel data regarding variation of protein expression between normal healthy endothelial cells and liver tumour endothelial cells. It is our intention to explore this further, using samples from patients undergoing curative liver tumour resection. We will further characterise the role of calcium signaling in this disease and plan to target the overexpressed tumour endothelial cell proteins to develop new treatments.

  • REC name

    Yorkshire & The Humber - Leeds East Research Ethics Committee

  • REC reference

    14/YH/1001

  • Date of REC Opinion

    30 May 2014

  • REC opinion

    Favourable Opinion