Vousden lab

Tumour and Host Metabolism Laboratory

: Areas of interest

Our metabolic studies have focused on how cancer cells use amino acids. We have shown that most cancers have a high demand for the amino acid serine, which is necessary for many biological processes including DNA synthesis and antioxidant defence. While cells can synthesise their own serine, in many cases we see that cancer cells are dependent on the uptake of serine from their surroundings. 

In some cases, normal cells in the tumour microenvironment can provide nutrients such as serine to the tumour. However, circulating levels of nutrients also play an important role in supporting cancers, and we have shown that dietary limitation of serine can slow down cancer development and improve the response to chemotherapy. The sensitivity of cancers to this approach is dependent on the genetic alterations that caused malignant development, and we believe that understanding the relationship between oncogenic changes and metabolic requirements will allow us to develop bespoke diets that are customized to patients, their tumours and their therapy.

Our analysis of the role of p53 and serine metabolism led to an interest in understanding how modulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) impacts cancer development. We found that enhanced ROS can make pancreas cancers more aggressive by changing the behaviour of the cancer cells and altering the immune environment of the tumour. Currently we are investigating how these immune changes can support the ability of the cancer cells to metastasise. The impact of ROS in mediating the ability of conditions such as obesity and aging to promote cancer development is also under study.