Overview
Topic status: We're looking for students to study this topic.
This project investigates and defines some of the earliest events in the beginning of cancer development. We will attempt to create cancerous cells in the laboratory by modulating the expression of genes in normal breast cells and determine if these changes cause cancer. The novel aspect of this work is that the cells in which we change the gene expression (fibroblast) will not be in contact with the cells in which we are attempting to initiate a cancer (epithelial) - this imitates the normal in-vivo environment where epithelial and fibroblast cells are not in direct cell-cell contact. The cells will have to transmit their cancer-inducing changes in a soluble form or through the deposition of a matrix which will then affect the normal cells. The outcomes from this research will contribute towards the end goal of diagnostic tests for cancer initiation that rely on gene expression and not the current analyses which are based on cell appearance. This will provide patients and clinicians with a definite measure of any cancerous changes in their breast tissue.
Aim 1: Generate EMT-over-expressing breast stromal fibroblasts
Aim 2: Determine if soluble molecules produced by the EMT-over-expressing-fibroblasts affect breast epithelial gene expression
Aim 3: Determine if EMT-over-expressing fibroblast-produced ECM confers increased
migratory ability on normal breast epithelial cells
Aim 4: Determine if soluble molecules produced by the EMT-over-expressing-fibroblasts effect breast epithelial cell migration, proliferation and adhesion
Methods and techniques that will be developed in the course of this project:
- Tissue culture of breast epithelial and stromal fibroblast cells
- Real-time cell migration assays
- Transfection of cells to modulate gene expression
- Microarray analysis and real-time PCR
- Study level
- PhD, Honours
- Supervisors
- QUT
- Organisational unit
Science and Engineering Faculty
- Research area
- Contact
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Please contact the supervisor.
Dr Kerry Manton
Associate Professor David Leavesley
