Edwards Group | Bone Oncology
We aim to identify the mechanisms contributing to bone disease caused by cancer and develop new treatments for these conditions.
Metastasis of cancers to bone
Cancer-induced bone disease is a characteristic feature of several types of cancer, including the hematological malignancy multiple myeloma, and other tumors that metastasise to bone such as breast, prostate and lung. In addition to the development of debilitating skeletal complications, the bone marrow provides a unique hospitable microenvironment, and once tumors become established in bone, they are largely unresponsive to treatment.
The overall goal of our research is to elucidate the cellular and molecular mechanisms that contribute to disease pathogenesis, and so identify and validate novel therapeutic approaches. Our focus is on the role of the tumor microenvironment and tumor-host interactions.
Major ThemeS
- Obesity, adipocytes and adipokines in tumour growth and cancer-induced bone disease
- Metabolism in the prostate cancer-bone microenvironment
- Unfolded protein response in prostate cancer bone metastases
- Using microfluidics to study the tumour-bone microenvironment
- Targeting BMP signalling in multiple myeloma
Collaborators
- Professor Freddie Hamdy
- Dr James Edwards
- Dr Hal Drakesmith
- Dr Karthik Ramasamy
- Dr Matthew Drake (Mayo Clinic, Rochester, USA)
- Dr Sarah Gooding
- Professor Ian Mills
- Professor Udo Oppermann
- Professor Adam Cribbs
- Professor Katja Simon
- Professor Ester Hammond
- Professor John Christianson
- Professor Edmond Walsh
- Professor Peter Cook
- Dr Michelle Lawson (University of Sheffield)
- Professor Nikki Horwood (UEA)