Engineering pancreatic tumour viscoelasticity
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Engineering pancreatic tumour viscoelasticity
Wed, 04/05/2022 - 13:30 to 14:30
Location:
Speaker:
Matthew Walker
Affiliation:
SULSA ECR
Synopsis:
A hallmark of pancreatic cancer progression is the differentiation of healthy cells into cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) which secrete abnormal amounts of extracellular matrix (ECM) that increase chemotherapeutic drug resistance. CAF differentiation occurs in response to aberrant changes in the mechanical and biochemical properties of the ECM. Viscoelasticity is emerging as a key mechanical property that drives cell behaviour within tissues and is known to change dramatically in tumours. Hydrogels, as water-swollen polymer networks, are effective ECM models that can recapitulate the viscoelastic properties of natural tissue. Despite this, conventional hydrogels use purely elastic materials or have neglected the viscous component which is crucial in regulating cell responses. I propose to investigate how dynamic changes in viscoelasticity influence CAF differentiation in the pancreatic microenvironment. To achieve this, I will measure the viscoelasticity of healthy and early-stage pancreatic cancer tissue before developing hydrogel models that recapitulate native tumour viscoelasticity. I will use these models to investigate mechanosensitive CAF differentiation to better understand the role of viscoelasticity in driving pancreatic tumour progression and potentially detect novel secreted biomarkers of early disease onset in future work.’
Biography:
In 2014 I received my Bachelor's degree in Biology from the University of Hull with upper second class honours (68.5%). In 2014 I joined the research group of Dr Daniel Ungar at the University of York to undertake an MRes involving the characterisation of glycosylation mutants in Drosophila melanogaster. Following the completion of my MRes in 2015, I was accepted onto an EPSRC-funded studentship at the University of York to undertake a 3-year PhD supervised by Dr Daniel Ungar, Prof. Paul Genever, Dr Victor Chechik and Dr Andrew Pratt. This was a highly interdisciplinary project across the departments of Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Electronics focusing on the development of magnetically-responsive nanoparticles for the delivery of bioactive therapeutics in joint disease.
In 2019, I joined the Biomedical Engineering Research Division at the University of Glasgow to work as a postdoctoral researcher with Dr. Marco Cantini before continuing with Prof. Delphine Gourdon. My work is carried out within the Centre for the Cellular Microenvironment (CeMi), a multidisciplinary university initiative combining the expertise of cell biologists and bioengineers across the James Watt School of Engineering and College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences (MVLS). The CeMi is co-directed by Prof. Matt Dalby and Prof. Manuel Salmeron-Sanchez and is part of the Acellular/Smart Materials Hub of the United Kingdom Regenerative Medicine Platform (UKRMP).