Aberdeen/Dundee/Edinburgh
Dr Robin Grant is the Clinical Research Lead for ENCO.
Inverness
Professor Anthony Chalmers is the lead for research and also chairs the Scottish Radiotherapy Research Forum (for all cancers).
Professor Adam Waldman (SINAPSE) organises the annual neuro-oncology research meeting and more details are available on the SINAPSE website.
Laboratory Research
The recent move to Edinburgh of Dr Steve Pollard, formerly of Samantha Dickson Brain Tumour Unit, and UCL Cancer Institute, has focused laboratory research in GBM in Edinburgh. GBM is made up of several phenotypically distinct cell types, including an immature stem cell population which is thought to drive tumour growth. The long term goal of our research is to uncover the molecular and cellular mechanisms that control stem cell lineage choice, commitment and differentiation.
His specific focus is on mammalian neural stem cells and he is studying how these pathways operate in the context of the lethal human brain cancer, glioblastoma. The primary model system is a novel set of neural stem (NS) cell lines generated from rodent and human germinal tissues or from brain tumour biopsies. These in vitro studies are complemented by in vivo assays (stereotaxic injection) and analysis of the developing mouse forebrain and primary tumour samples. There are currently three major areas of interest:
- Lineage specific transcription factors– investigating the function and biochemistry of lineage specific transcriptional regulators, such as members of the SOX, FOX and bHLH family. These lie at the heart of cell fate decisions in neural stem and progenitor cells during development and within brain tumours.
- High content chemical screening– carrying out image-based small molecule screens to search for new agents and pathways that can modulate self-renewal and differentiation in normal and glioblastoma-derived neural stem cells. (collaboration with Dr Neil Carragher and Dr Paul Brennan).
- Epigenetic programming and reprogramming– investigating whether changes to the epigenome within glioblastoma-derived cancer stem cells enable suppression of malignant properties, using both direct differentiation as well as nuclear reprogramming strategies to test this.
SHARE
SHARE is the Scottish Health Research Register and Biobank. It is a database of volunteers who are interested in assisting research for improving health. Medical research has never needed volunteers more than now. Please sign up today to be contacted for future projects. You can also allow researchers to use any leftover blood from routine blood tests for genetic studies. It’s easy to sign up or opt out. To register or find out more please visit www.registerforshare.org