Manipulating melanoma cells into using biological pathways that will trigger their own death
Background
The cancer environment is a stressful place. Cancer cells have to cope with low blood flow, leading to insufficient nutrient levels and cellular stress. However, cancer cells also need more nutrients than normal cells in order to grow and spread to other parts of the body. To overcome this, cancer cells develop stress-response techniques to promote their survival.
The research
This project will specifically look at melanoma and the pathways used by these cancer cells to survive. The researchers will hijack the stress responses of melanoma, and force the cancer cells to choose a pathways that will lead to their death. With world-leading team and access to patients and clinical samples, the researchers will be positioned to rapidly translate their findings into practice.