Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a novel treatment, used mainly for anticancer therapy, that depends on the retention of photosensitizers (PS) in tumour cells and irradiation of the tumour with appropriate wavelength light. Photosensitizers are molecules such as porphyrins and chlorins that, on photoactivation, effect strongly localized oxidative damage within target cells. The PS used for PDT loc...

Inspired by the ability of SERS nanoantennas to provide an integrated platform to enhance disease targeting in vivo, we developed a highly sensitive probe for in vivo tumour recognition with the capacity to target specific cancer biomarkers such as epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFR) on human cancer cells and xenograft tumour models. Here, we used ~90nm gold nanoparticles capped by a Raman...

The development of cancer begins with cells transitioning from their multicellular nature to a state akin unicellular organisms. This shift leads breakdown in the crucial regulators inherent multicellularity, resulting emergence diverse cell subpopulations that have enhanced adaptability. presence different within tumour, known as intratumoural heterogeneity (ITH), poses challenges for treatmen...

Exosomes are emerging mediators of intercellular communication; whether the release of exosomes has an effect on the exosome donor cells in addition to the recipient cells has not been investigated to any extent. Here, we examine different exosomal miRNA expression profiles in primary mouse colon tumour, liver metastasis of colon cancer and naive colon tissues. In more advanced disease, higher ...

Despite recent progress thanks to next-generation sequencing technologies, personalised cancer medicine is still hampered by intra-tumour heterogeneity and drug resistance. As most patients with advanced metastatic disease face poor survival, there is need to improve early diagnosis. Analysing circulating tumour DNA (ctDNA) might represent a non-invasive method to detect mutations in patients, ...

Targeting the vasculature remains a promising approach for treating solid tumours; however, the mechanisms of tumour neovascularization are diverse and complex. Here we uncover a new subpopulation of melanoma cells that express the vascular cell adhesion molecule PECAM1, but not VEGFR-2, and participate in a PECAM1-dependent form of vasculogenic mimicry (VM). Clonally derived PECAM1(+) tumour c...

This report presents the findings of TIL development from tumour biopsies of patients with bladder cancer. Analysis of tissue sections showed the presence of T cells in intra-epithelial layer in 8 of 12 cases investigated. In a larger group of patients, TILs were established from 7 of 20 cases and expansion of these cells in Interleukin-2 (IL-2) in the presence of conditioned medium (CM) r...

Currently all approved anti-cancer therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) are of the IgG isotype, which rely on Fcgamma receptors (FcγRs) to recruit cellular effector functions. In vitro studies showed that targeting of FcαRI (CD89) by bispecific antibodies (bsAbs) or recombinant IgA resulted in more effective elimination of tumour cells by myeloid effector cells than targeting of FcγR. Here ...

Maleimide-functionalised Pt(IV) complexes with highly selective binding properties to thiol groups were synthesised as precursors for binding of thiol-containing tumour-targeting molecules like human serum albumin.

A new sarcophagine cage amine ligand with a pendent carboxylate functional group has been synthesised; the ligand has been conjugated to tumour targeting peptides ([Tyr3]-octreotate and [Lys3]-bombesin) and the conjugates radiolabelled with copper-64.