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Bio-imaging inflammatory signals for colon cancer initiation

Reference	BBS/E/F/00042597
Principal Investigator / Supervisor	Dr Anastasia Sobolewski
Co-Investigators / Co-Supervisors
Institution	Quadram Institute Bioscience
Department	Quadram Institute Bioscience Department
Funding type	Research
Value (£)	52,800
Status	Completed
Type	Institute Project
Start date	01/03/2010
End date	31/12/2012
Duration	34 months

Abstract

Prevention and treatment of colorectal cancer is still a major challenge. Each year over 36,500 people in the UK are diagnosed with colorectal cancer and only half of these individuals will live more than 5 years. Epidemiological studies have identified inflammation as a major risk factor for colon cancer incidence, but the underlying mechanisms remain unclear. Increasingly, colorectal cancer is considered a stem cell disease in that (i) intestinal cancer can be initiated by genetic modification of mouse intestinal stem cells and (ii) human colorectal tumours contain a small subset of "cancer stem cells" that posses self-renewal, multipotent and tumourigenic properties. Observations from a number of model systems suggest that inflammatory signals can disrupt normal tissue homeostasis, but the direct effects on intestinal stem cells and consequences for colon cancer initiation are not known. We will test the hypothesis that elevated levels of the inflammatory mediators cause chronic activation of cell signalling pathways within intestinal stem cells to initiate the formation of pre-cancerous aberrant crypt foci and micro-adenoma growth. The project will utilise a unique combination of mouse 3D tissue culture models of the intestinal epithelium. State-of-the-art bio-imaging approaches will monitor the status of intestinal stem cells and interrogate the origins of colon cancer. This platform will be used to develop anti-inflammatory strategies for the prevention of colon cancer initiation.

Summary

unavailable

Committee	Not funded via Committee
Research Topics	Stem Cells
Research Priority	X – Research Priority information not available
Research Initiative	X - not in an Initiative
Funding Scheme	X – not Funded via a specific Funding Scheme

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