Genre: Information/Explanation

Supervisors : Mustafa BA Djamgoz and Suzanne Eccles Project : Cellular and molecular biophysics of angiogenesis Angiogenesis ( the formation of new blood vasculature ) is a biological process of fundamental importance both during development and in a variety of pathological situations - in particular the growth and spread of cancers . Although angiogenesis is a complex process , involving a variety of activating molecular signals , it incorporates an integrated series of basic cell behaviours , such as cell-cell and cell-matrix adhesion , motility , invasion protease secretion , and tubular differentiation . It is clear that activated endothelial cells responding to angiogenic stimuli share many common downstream signalling pathways and functions with invasive cancer cells , and these can be exploited as therapeutic targets ( Eccles 2004 ) . We have provided substantial evidence that the invasive potential of several types of cancer ( prostate , breast and leukaemia ) are potentiated by voltage-gated sodium channel ( VGSC ) expression and / or activity . Importantly , we now have promising new evidence that human endothelial ( blood vessel ) cells also express electrophysiologically-detectable VGSCs and that their activity controls formation of vessels ( ' tubules ' ) as well as their invasive capability . In addition , at least one type of VGSC is induced by hypoxia ( low oxygen levels ) . Hypoxia within tumours is one of the key drivers of angiogenesis and invasion . These findings raise the possibility that VGSC blockers may effectively inhibit the progressive growth and spread of cancers . This project will use cellular and molecular biophysical techniques to further characterize VGSC expression , activation and regulation in human endothelial cells and to elucidate the contribution of VGSC activity to tumour angiogenesis .