Visualising the earliest events during tumour initiation

in vivo live imaging of earliest events during tumour initiation

My lab uses an in vivo live imaging approach and zebrafish cancer models to investigate the earliest events of tumour initiation. We wish, through our work to find novel cancer preventative strategies. Using a translucent zebrafish larval stage pre-neoplastic cell (PNC) development model, our research has revealed that the PNC elicits an inflammatory response at its inception, which progresses toward a chronic inflammation state. More importantly, recruited innate immune cells including neutrophils and macrophage play a Trophic role in promoting PNC proliferation. We further showed that COX2 mediated PGE2 generated from innate immune cells appear to be one of the important trophic factors mediating PNC proliferation. Our research identified the importance of host innate immune cells as key players during PNC initiation and progression. More recently, my lab has focused on dissecting the regulatory mechanisms that modulate leukocyte phenotype during PNC progression and the cross talk between PNCs and host leukocytes. In addition, we have been developing new tools for live imaging studies of the earliest events during PNC progression, with a focus on live imaging metabolic changes within PNCs. We have developed a Tamoxifen inducible HRASG12V over-expressing skin PNC model to unpick signals critical in establishing the leukocyte Trophic Phenotype. I will be talking about some of our latest data on live imaging NFKB activation and Calcium signaling during PNC initiation as well as mitochondria morphological and functional changes during PNC initiation and their role in regulating early PNC progression.