Extracellular vesicles in colorectal cancer
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Extracellular vesicles - key mediators and potential biomarkers in colorectal cancer patients.
IRAS ID
244453
Contact name
Nick Peake
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS FT
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 11 months, 30 days
Research summary
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are membrane-enclosed packages capable of transmitting protein and RNA cargo between cells. There have been studies illustrating that EVs are released by colon cells which can have an effect on other cells nearby, and are also recipients of EVs from other cells. We have now established models enabling us to analyse an inflammatory and cancerous microenvironment, which we aim to use to analyse how EVs cross-talk between colon cells and other cells, supporting the progression of colorectal cancer (CRC). This project has 3 objectives. 1) Analyse the cargo in EVs produced by CRC cells, 2) analyse alterations in nearby tissues in response to EVs and 3) link cargo to targets to analyse the impact of both known and novel interacting pathways. We will utilise EV isolation from culture models and patients with bowel disease, advanced 3D culture models and patient tissues to model the disease environment, and use proteomic, miRNA screening and bioinformatic approaches to analyse the pathways involved. The outcomes of this project will be an understanding of how EVs in the bowel drive disease and how the response of different tissues influence responses at the disease site, with the potential to provide biomarkers of disease progression and future therapeutic approaches.
REC name
HSC REC B
REC reference
19/NI/0221
Date of REC Opinion
21 Jan 2020
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion