Molecular And Metabolic Signalling Centre

The research interests of the Centre are focused on a molecular understanding of signalling pathways in cell growth, differentiation, stress responses and apoptosis. The Centre comprises 12 well-funded groups and conducts leading edge research using a range of modern molecular and cellular techniques involving molecular biology, cell imaging, proteomics, metabolomics, molecular virology and genetics.

Research on cell growth and differentiation includes the study of signalling pathways in melanocyte differentiation and melanoma (Professor Dot Bennett and Dr Elena Sviderskaya), in haemopoietic cell differentiation and anaemias (Dr Tim Rutherford). in regulation of DNA replication/chromatin structure (Dr Sue Cotterill) and DNA supercoiling and chromosome segregation (Professor Mark Fisher), in translational control by interferons, TNFa, TRAIL and p53 (Professor Mike Clemens), and in evasion of innate immunity- animal viruses, influenza and interferons (Professor Steve Goodbourn). Another key area is how cell function is altered in disease and in response to stress such as hypoxia and drug exposure. Major research topics include Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy and Magnetic Resonance Imaging of cancer and preclinical drug evaluation using metabolomics and proteomics (Professor John Griffiths and Dr Marion Stubbs), metabolic profiling of vascular, muscle and cancer cells (Dr Yuen-Li Chung), proton MRS for diagnosis and prognosis of brain tumours and other neuropathologies (Dr Franklyn Howe), and the mechanisms of action of anticancer drugs targeting telomeres, apoptosis and the vasculature (Professor Lloyd Kelland, Antisoma). These research activities provide new insights on cell signalling that power medical advances against cancer, microbial and viral diseases.

The Centre has close links with the St George’s Medical Biomics Centre, a purpose- built unit with excellent facilities for genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, glycomics and metabolomics. There are also strong collaborations with the Protein Reference Unit (Dr Joanna Sheldon) and with pharmaceutical companies.