Category Archives: Colorectal Cancer

Publication: Tumor endothelial marker 8 promotes cancer progression and metastasis

Thomas R. Cox, Jul 2018

Tumor endothelial marker 8 promotes cancer progression and metastasis

Our new paper has just been published in Oncotarget. In this study, we show that Tumor endothelial marker 8 (TEM8) regulates the expression of multiple genes. In particular, we observed that the most common expression changes conserved between breast and colorectal cancer are involved in regulation of the cell cycle. In line with the microarray results we show that TEM8 regulates cancer cell proliferation and primary tumor growth. Since TEM8 KO tumors presented with fewer blood vessels we hypothesize that TEM8 contributes to the regulation of angiogenesis, likely by being secreted by cancer cells to alter endothelial cell migration and thereby supporting growth of the tumor. Moreover, we confirm that TEM8 is an important player in driving tumor cell invasion and metastatic dissemination in breast cancer.

Tumor endothelial marker 8 promotes cancer progression and metastasis

Proposed mechanism behind the impact of TEM8 on breast and CRC cancer progression.

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Funding: NHMRC New Investigator Grant to Thomas Cox

NHMRC Logo 1Thomas R. Cox, Dec 2017

We’re delighted to announce the we have been awarded a New Investigator Project Grant from the National Health and Medical Research Council (NHMRC).

The grant will support a project investigating how  targeting tumour tissue stiffness can increase the efficacy of currently approved therapies in solid cancers. Continue reading →

Publication: The importance of Lysyl Oxidase (LOX) in Rectal Cancer

Thomas R. Cox, May 2016

In collaboration with the department of oncology and department of clinical and experimental medicine at Linköping University in Sweden, we have just published a new paper looking at the importance of lysyl oxidase (LOX) in rectal cancer patients.

LOX+Rectal2016

Lysyl oxidase immunohistochemistry in rectal cancer samples

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Publication: New Review published in Am. J. Physiol; Gastrointestinal & Liver Physiology

Thomas R. Cox, Sep 2014

My recent review has just been published in the American Journal of Physiology; Gastrointestinal and Liver Physiology. Titled ‘Lysyl oxidase in colorectal cancer’, we discuss the current body of literature on the role of the extracellular matrix remodelling enzyme Lysyl Oxidase in colorectal cancer initiation and progression.

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Image: The multiple roles of LOX in regulating signaling networks in colorectal cancer, both directly and indirectly.

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Publication: New Article on LOX and tumour angiogenesis published in Cancer Research

Thomas R. Cox, Jan 2013

Lysyl oxidase plays a critical role in endothelial cell stimulation to drive tumor angiogenesis

Our recent work on the role of Lysyl Oxidase in stimulating tumour angiogenesis in colorectal cancer has just been published in Cancer Research.

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Image: Immunohistochemistry for LOX expression (shown in brown) in a patient colorectal cancer sample

In this paper we show that the cancer secreted enzyme Lysyl Oxidase (LOX) plays a critical role in stimulating angiogenesis in the growth of colorectal cancers. Continue reading →

Publication: New Article published in Oncogene

Thomas R. Cox, May 2012

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Our recent paper titled “Lysyl oxidase enzymatic function increases stiffness to drive colorectal cancer progression through FAK” has just been published in Oncogene.

In this paper we show that the activity of the cancer secreted enzyme Lysyl Oxidase (LOX) is critically important in mediating the growth and metastasis of colorectal cancers. Continue reading →

Publication: New Article published in Journal of the National Cancer Institute (JNCI)

Thomas R. Cox, Jan 2011

We have just had our work investigating the role of Lysyl Oxidase (LOX) in the progression of colorectal cancer accepted in Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

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Image: Expression of LOX (brown) is assessed in a colorectal cancer patient tissue microarray

Lysyl Oxidase (LOX) is an extracellular matrix (ECM) modifying enzyme that is rapidly becoming recognised as significantly contributing to the development and progression of solid tumours. In this paper we show that  Continue reading →