Surgical Oncology Laboratory

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Surgical Oncology Laboratory - Research at Peter Mac

The Surgical Oncology laboratory uses molecular and cellular approaches to understand the development and progression of gastrointestinal cancers and to identify new treatments.

Research Focus

PI3-kinase signalling pathway. Barrett’s Oesophagus.

Research Overview

The Surgical Oncology laboratory has a long-standing interest in the role of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) signalling pathway in the development and progression of human tumours. In particular, the laboratory is interested in the biological and clinical significance of somatic mutations in the PI3K gene, PIK3CA, in human cancers. Current projects are aimed at understanding the significance of these mutations, which in turn will help us identify novel markers for diagnosis, prognosis and early detection of cancer and enable a rational approach to the design of new anti-cancer therapies. Another of our laboratory’s interests is Barrett’s Oesophagus which is a metaplastic, premalignant abnormality that gives patients a >100-fold risk of developing oesophageal adenocarcinoma. The Surgical Oncology laboratory has developed novel cell culture systems that allow the layered structure of the normal oesophageal epithelium to be reproduced in the laboratory. We can use these models to better understand the molecular and cellular processes involved in the development of Barrett’s Oesophagus and ultimately contribute to designing strategies for the management and treatment of Barrett’s Oesophagus and the prediction and/or prevention of the progression of this condition to oesophageal adenocarcinoma. The group has close links with the Division of Surgical Oncology and GI Services and in collaboration with clinical colleagues is developing genomic approaches to predict a patient's clinical response to chemo-radiotherapy in order to help improve the management of patients with advanced gastrointestinal cancers.