Cellular signalling in Childhood Brain Tumours and Neuroblastoma (1)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Elucidation of the intracellular molecular mechanisms underlying the aggressive behaviour of chilhood brain tumours and Neuroblastoma and their response to therapy.
IRAS ID
177034
Contact name
Violaine See
Contact email
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
N/A, N/A
Duration of Study in the UK
7 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
This study is an ongoing collaboration between scientists at the university of Liverpool and clinicians managing childhood cancer at Alder Hey Children’s hospital.
We are currently working with two important paediatric cancers: neuroblastoma and medulloblastoma. In both cancers, poor prognosis is associated with either tumour spread and/or resistance to drugs. By better understanding, at a molecular level, how the tumour environment impact on the tumour aggressiveness, we aim to elucidate new molecular targets which could be used clinically to treat the children.
More specifically, in several CNS tumours as well as in neuroblastoma, we aim to study the effect of the deprivation of oxygen which occurs in solid tumours (tumour hypoxia) on the growth, metastasis and response to therapeutic treatments. Because tumour hypoxia has been shown to trigger dedifferentiation of neuroblastoma cells, one angle of the research is also to target the differentiation/dedifferentiation balance to improve the killing efficiency of the tumour cells. Our work involve using established cell lines, yet we will also perform experiments using fresh tumour material taken from patients at surgery when their tumour is removed to validate our results. To study tumour growth, metastasis and sensitivity to drugs we use a combination of in vitro assays and in vivo experiments using a chick embryo model. The tumour cells are injected on the chorioallantoic membrane of the chick embryo and their growth as tumour and metastasis is monitored over 7 days. Drug efficiency will also be tested using the chick embryo model or the in vitro culture.
All patients with neuroblastoma or CNS tumours undergoing surgery or biopsy procedure in Alder Hey hospital will be eligible. Because of the low number of patient/year, we aim to undergo this study as long as the collaboration between the scientists and the clinician is ongoing.REC name
North West - Liverpool Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
15/NW/0718
Date of REC Opinion
26 Aug 2015
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion