Cancer Biology
 

Image of Alan McIntyre

Alan McIntyre

Professor of Molecular Oncology, Faculty of Medicine & Health Sciences

Contact

  • workC209a, Biodiscovery Institute, Science Road, University of Nottingham, NG7 2RD
    University Park
    Nottingham
    NG7 2RD
    UK
  • work0115 823 1547

Expertise Summary

My research focuses on understanding the molecular and cell biology of the hypoxic microenvironment. Hypoxia (low oxygen) is key in many pathological settings including wound healing, inflammation, ischemia and cancer. Regions of hypoxia in tumours are associated with worse survival, chemotherapy and radiotherapy resistance. Tumour hypoxia arises from the combination of high metabolic and proliferative rates and aberrant vascularisation. The hypoxic tumour microenvironment is also acidic as metabolic acid accumulates in poorly-vascularised areas. Hypoxia induces a transcriptome shift under the regulation of the transcription factors HIF1α and HIF2α, which are stabilised in hypoxia. HIFs regulate genes in key "hallmarks of cancer" processes that enable adaptation to the hypoxic tumour microenvironment. In many cases anti-angiogenic therapy, such as bevacizumab, increases tumour hypoxia and hypoxic adaptation is a major mechanism of resistance to anti-angiogenic therapies. Understanding the molecular consequences of hypoxia and how to target hypoxic regions of tumours is key in improving tumour patient survival.

My research interests are:

Tumour Microenvironment Stress

Molecular Adaptive Responses

Epigenetics

Transcription

Metabolism

Acidosis

Translation

Angiogenesis

miRNAs

Invasion and metastasis

Functional shRNA/siRNA screens - Induced essentiality

Biomarkers

Cancer stem cells

Our work is generously funded by: The Medical Research Council, Breast Cancer Now and Bowel & Cancer Research.

I have a self-funded PhD studentship available for October 2020 start please contact me directly to find out more details.

Selected Publications

Cancer Biology Unit

School of Medicine
The University of Nottingham
D Floor, West Block, Queen's Medical Centre
Nottingham, NG7 2UH


telephone: +44 (0) 115 82 31135
email:cancer-biology@nottingham.ac.uk