Glyco-oncology and angiogenesis
One of the hallmarks of tumours is that they are able to stimulate the growth of their own network of blood vessels in a process called tumour angiogenesis. The development of blood vessels around tumours enables them to grow in an unregulated manner and to spread to distant sites. Carbohydrate molecules (Glycans) on the surface of blood vessel cells play a critical role in angiogenesis because they sense and transmit signals from the tumour that induce blood vessel growth. The signals the tumour releases are in the form of small proteins called growth factors or cytokines that bind to specialized glycans called heparan sulphate that line the blood vessel surface. Assisted by the glycan, the growth factor then docks onto a signalling molecule that delivers chemical messages into blood vessel cells. These messages are the stimulus for blood vessels to migrate and grow around and within the tumour.
Collaborative projects
In the absence of this angiogenic mechanism tumours will not expand beyond a certain size and they are unlikely to spread. Thus the Glyco-onclogy and Angiogenesis Groups are working together in several collaborative projects to design drugs that break the connection between the tumour and its blood vessel system. Our major strategy has been to design and synthesise complex glycans that mimic the structure of the type of heparan sulphate in blood vessels. By this approach, we hope to capture the angiogenic growth factors in a molecular trap that prevents them from delivering signals that drive the highly-dangerous stage of tumour vascularisation.
- Glyco-oncology
Unlocking the secrets of heparan sulphate - Glycoangiogenesis
Breaking communication between tumours and blood vessels