Angiogenesis Group

Group leaders: Professor Roy Bicknell and Dr Victoria Heath

Overview

The goal of our research is to better understand the process of blood vessel formation and identify new markers found on tumour vessels. Identification of tumour vessel markers will enable the development of new anti-cancer therapies. In addition, understanding the complex molecular events involved in vessel formation will reveal new ways to modulate this process in various pathologies.

Our research group

The research of our group is focussed on studying angiogenesis and in the discovery of novel tumour endothelial markers. Angiogenesis plays a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of solid tumours, enabling both their growth and metastasis. The abnormal tumour microenvironment causes tumour vessels to be phenotypically distinct from their normal counterparts. A key aim of our group is to better characterise the transcriptome of tumour vessels in a range of human tumours, to enable the identification of novel tumour endothelial markers which could be used to develop new anti-tumour therapies. We are also undertaking basic research to interrogate the mechanisms of angiogenesis and in particular are studying the molecular functions of Robo4, Clec14a, ECSCR and RhoJ proteins which our group have identified as having a role in endothelial motility and tube formation. We use a wide variety of assays and techniques to investigate the functions of these and novel tumour endothelial markers.

Current Projects

Understanding the molecular role of ECSCR in angiogenesis
Characterisation of the molecular interactions of Clec14a and their role in angiogenesis
Identification of novel tumour endothelial markers from lung and colon cancer
Bioinformatic analysis of endothelial non-coding RNA
Characterisation of the role of RhoJ in endothelial motility and tube formation

Recent Publications

Mura M, Swain RK, Zhuang X, Vorschmitt H, Reynolds G, Durant S, Beesley JF, Herbert JM, Sheldon H, Andre M, Sanderson S, Glen K, Luu NT, McGettrick HM, Antczak P, Falciani F, Nash GB, Nagy ZS and Bicknell R (2012) Identification and angiogenic role of the novel tumor endothelial marker CLEC14A. Oncogene 31(3):293-305
Kaur S, Leszczynska K, Abraham S, Scarcia M, Hiltbrunner S, Marshall CJ, Mavria G, Bicknell R and Heath VL (2011) RhoJ/TCL regulates endothelial motility and tube formation and modulates actomyosin contractility and focal adhesion numbers. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 31(3):657-64
Heath VL and Bicknell R (2009) Anticancer strategies involving the vasculature. Nat Rev Clin Oncol 6(7):395-404
Sheldon H, Andre M, Legg JA, Heal P, Herbert JM, Sainson R, Sharma AS, Kitajewski JK, Heath VL and Bicknell R (2009) Active involvement of Robo1 and Robo4 in filopodia formation and endothelial cell motility mediated via WASP and other actin nucleation-promoting factors. FASEB J 23(2):513-22
Armstrong LJ, Heath VL, Sanderson S, Kaur S, Beesley JF, Herbert JM, Legg JA, Poulsom R and Bicknell R (2008) ECSM2, an endothelial specific filamin a binding protein that mediates chemotaxis. Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol 28(9):1640-6

For full publication lists see:

Staff

Principal Investigators

Professor Roy Bicknell
Dr Victoria Heath

Postdoctoral Researchers

Dr Peter Noy
Dr Samantha Tull

PhD Students

Rosemary Bamford
Henry Ferguson
David Kershaw
Kabir Khan
Puja Lodhia
Victoria Salisbury
Klarke Sample
Eleanor Wilson
Joseph Wragg

Other Related Staff

Paul Newby

Internal Collaborators

Dr Ashley Martin
Dr Zsuzsanna Nagy
Prof Gerard Nash
Prof Ed Rainger
Dr Joshua Rappoport - School of Biosciences
Dr Kai Toellner
Dr Michael Tomlinson - School of Biosciences
Prof Ben Willcox

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