Dr Elisabeth Phillips is an emerging cancer researcher who has research interests in cancer, particularly the tumour microenvironment and therapy resistance.
Cancer does not develop in isolation. A milieu of other cells, extracellular matrix component and physical stressors surround cancers as they develop and grow, creating a permissive environment for the initiation, growth and metastasis of cancer. Adipose tissue is present within the tumour microenvironment of several invasive cancers. Adipocytes have the ability to secrete a plethora of chemical signals and can form physical interactions with surrounding cells. This 'cross-talk' between cancer and adipocytes enables change of phenotype of both the cancer and the adipocytes, which is thought to be exacerbated under obesogenic conditions. The adipocytes within the tumour microenvironment that display this activated phenotype are named Cancer Associated Adipocytes (CAA).
Our research has used cutting-edge molecular techniques to probe this dynamic cellular interaction in vitro and in clinical samples, with the aim of finding underlying mechanisms that have the potential to be exploited for targeted therapy.
We have used in vitro models with primary human breast adipocytes cultured together with cancer cells and used a combination of OMICs technologies to investigate changes within the breast cancer cells. We have also used mass-spectrometry based proteomics to profile the changes that occur in the secreted factors released by the adipocytes after. Using this data, we are working to identify how to exploit CAAs to target tumours more effectively through studying the pathways that are fundamental to their pro-tumour functions in vitro and in people with cancer through clinical samples.
In addition, we, in collaboration with Dr Khoon Lim (Christchurch REgenerative and Tissue Engineering group), are further developing an in vitro, 3-dimensional model that we will use to investigate the CAA: Cancer interaction using a combination of cell and molecular biology approaches.
Postgraduate supervision
Current PhD students
Student: Eleanor Burgess Thesis title: The role of ascorbate in glioma Supervisors: Gabi Dachs, Elisabeth Philies, Bridget Robinson and Margreet Vissers
Student: Rebekah Crake Thesis title: Local and systemic effects of adipocyte-secreted factors in breast cancer Supervisors: Margaret Currie, Elisabeth Phillips, Matthew Strother, Bridget Robinson
Student: Jessika Wise Thesis title: 3D breast tumour models for drug discovery Supervisors: Elisabeth Phillips, Khoon Lim, Margaret Currie and Tim Woodfield
Completed PhD students
Student: Christina Wohlrab Thesis title: The role of ascorbate in controlling hypoxia factors in renal cell carcinoma Supervisors: Gabi Dachs, Elisabeth Phillips, Bridget Robinson, Margreet Vissers Graduated: 2018
Completed MSc student
Student: Mohini Puri Thesis title: Role of cancer associated adipocytes (CAA) and tumour associated collagen structures (TACS) in breast cancer cell invasion and metastasis Supervisors: Margaret Currie, Elisabeth Phillips Graduated: 2019
Completed BBiomedSc(Hons) students
Student: Rebekah Crake Thesis title: Exploring molecular links between obesity and breast cancer Supervisors: Logan Walker, Elisabeth Phillips, Margaret Currie Graduated: 2015
Student: Morgan Jones Thesis title: Does fat provide energy for breast tumour cell invasion and metastasis? Supervisors: Margaret Currie, Elisabeth Phillips, Mark Hampton Graduated: 2015
Student: Anishah Mandani Thesis title: Development of a metabolic syndrome model of breast cancer Supervisors: Gabi Dachs, Elisabeth Phillips, Margaret Currie Graduated: 2015
Major, G., Ahn, M., C, W.-W., Santos, M., Wise, J., Phillips, E., … Woodfield, T., & Lim, K. S. (2024). Programming temporal stiffness cues within extracellular matrix hydrogels for modelling cancer niches. Materials Today Bio, 25, 101004. doi: 10.1016/j.mtbio.2024.101004
Journal - Research Article
Mekhileri, N. V., Major, G., Lim, K., Mutreja, I., Chitcholtan, K., Phillips, E., Hooper, G., & Woodfield, T. (2023). Biofabrication of modular spheroids as tumour-scale microenvironments for drug screening. Advanced Healthcare Materials, 12, 2201581. doi: 10.1002/adhm.202201581
Journal - Research Article
Symonds, E., Hally, K., Smith, R., Brown, A., Currie, M., Phillips, E., … Dennett, E., Meredith, I., & Danielson, K. (2022, August). Messengers in the microenvironment: The role of extracellular vesicles in fat graft retention for breast reconstruction. Verbal presentation at the Cancer Satellite Meeting: Queenstown Research Week, Queenstown, New Zealand.
Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs
Crake, R. L. I., Burgess, E. R., Wiggins, G. A. R., Magon, N. J., Das, A. B., Vissers, M. C. M., Morrin, H. R., Royds, J. A., Slatter, T. L., Robinson, B. A., Phillips, E., & Dachs, G. U. (2022). Ascorbate content of clinical glioma tissues is related to tumour grade and to global levels of 5-hydroxymethyl cytosine. Scientific Reports, 12, 14845. doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-19032-8
Journal - Research Article
Burgess, E. R., Crake, R. L. I., Phillips, E., Morrin, H. R., Royds, J. A., Slatter, T. L., Wiggins, G. A. R., Vissers, M. C. M., Robinson, B. A., & Dachs, G. U. (2022). Increased ascorbate content of glioblastoma is associated with a suppressed hypoxic response and improved patient survival. Frontiers in Oncology, 12, 829524. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2022.829524
Journal - Research Article
Wohlrab, C., Vissers, M. C. M., Burgess, E. R., Nonis, M., Phillips, E., Robinson, B. A., & Dachs, G. U. (2021). Limited association between ascorbate concentrations and vitamin C transporters in renal cell carcinoma cells and clinical samples. Cellular Physiology & Biochemistry, 55, 553-568. doi: 10.33594/000000435
Journal - Research Article
Crake, R. L. I., Burgess, E. R., Royds, J. A., Phillips, E., Vissers, M. C. M., & Dachs, G. U. (2021). The role of 2-oxoglutarate dependent dioxygenases in gliomas and glioblastomas: A review of epigenetic reprogramming and hypoxic responses. Frontiers in Oncology, 11, 619300. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2021.619300
Journal - Research Other
Crake, R. L. I., Strother, M. R., Phillips, E., Doogue, M. P., Zhang, M., Frampton, C. M. A., Robinson, B. A., & Currie, M. J. (2021). Influence of serum inflammatory cytokines on cytochrome P450 drug metabolising activity during breast cancer chemotherapy: A patient feasibility study. Scientific Reports, 11(1), 5648. doi: 10.1038/s41598-021-85048-1
Journal - Research Article
Stamp, L. K., Cameron, V. A., Woodfield, T. B. F., Walker, L., Currie, M., Templeton, E., Pilbrow, A. P., Tabakakis, K., Phillips, E., & Lim, K. S. (2021). Impact of COVID-19 on health research in New Zealand: A case study of a research-intensive campus. Journal of the Royal Society of New Zealand, 51(Suppl. 1), S75-S85. doi: 10.1080/03036758.2020.1867202
Journal - Research Article
Crake, R., Strother, M., Morrin, H., Smith, A., Phillips, E., Robinson, B., & Currie, M. (2020). An exploratory patient study assessing CYP450 enzyme function in women receiving chemotherapy for breast cancer. New Zealand Medical Journal, 133(1524), (pp. 144). Retrieved from https://www.nzma.org.nz/journal
Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract
Crake, R. L. I., Phillips, E., Kleffmann, T., & Currie, M. J. (2019). Co-culture with human breast adipocytes differentially regulates protein abundance in breast cancer cells. Cancer Geonomics & Proteomics, 16(5), 319-332. doi: 10.21873/cgp.20137
Journal - Research Article
Wohlrab, C., Kuiper, C., Vissers, M. C. M., Phillips, E., Robinson, B. A., & Dachs, G. U. (2019). Ascorbate modulates the hypoxic pathway by increasing intracellular activity of the HIF hydroxylases in renal cell carcinoma cells. Hypoxia, 7, 17-31. doi: 10.2147/hp.S201643
Journal - Research Article
Crake, R., Strother, M., Morrin, H., Smith, A., Phillips, E., Robinson, B., & Currie, M. (2018, November). An exploratory breast cancer patient study to assess the impact of obesity-related inflammation and physical activity on chemotherapy drug metabolism. Verbal presentation at the Women’s Wellbeing Symposium, Dunedin, New Zealand.
Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs
Crake, R., Kleffmann, T., Morrin, H., Strother, M., Robinson, B., Phillips, E., & Currie, M. (2018, August). Cancer-associated adipocytes alter protein expression profiles of human breast cancer cells in vitro. Poster session presented at the Queenstown Molecular Biology (QMB) Meetings, Queenstown, New Zealand.
Conference Contribution - Poster Presentation (not in published proceedings)
Wise, J., Lim, K., Currie, M., Morrin, H., Woodfield, T., & Phillips, E. (2018, August). Development of a 3D breast cancer-adipocyte model: A tool for studying tumour microenvironment interactions in vitro. Poster session presented at the Queenstown Molecular Biology (QMB) Meetings, Queenstown, New Zealand.
Conference Contribution - Poster Presentation (not in published proceedings)
Phillips, E., Kleffmann, T., Morrin, H., Robinson, B., & Currie, M. (2018). Differential secretome analysis of cancer-associated adipocytes (CAA) and mature adipocytes to identify adipocyte-driven micro-environmental regulators of breast cancer progression. ESMO Open, 3(Suppl. 2), (pp. A348). doi: 10.1136/esmoopen-2018-EACR25.820
Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract
Wohlrab, C., Vissers, M. C. M., Phillips, E., Morrin, H., Robinson, B. A., & Dachs, G. U. (2018). The association between ascorbate and the hypoxia-inducible factors in human renal cell carcinoma requires a functional von Hippel-Lindau protein. Frontiers in Oncology, 8, 574. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2018.00574
Journal - Research Article
Wohlrab, C., Kuiper, C., Vissers, M. C. M., Phillips, E., Robinson, B., & Dachs, G. U. (2018). Ascorbate modulates the hypoxic pathway by increasing activity of HIF hydroxylases. Proceedings of the New Zealand Society for Oncology (NZSO) Conference. Retrieved from http://www.nzsoncology.org.nz/
Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract
Crake, R., Strother, M., Morrin, H., Smith, A., Phillips, E., Robinson, B., & Currie, M. (2018). An exploratory breast cancer patient study to assess the impact of obesity-related inflammation and physical activity on chemotherapy drug metabolism. Proceedings of the New Zealand Society for Oncology (NZSO) Conference. Retrieved from http://www.nzsoncology.org.nz/
Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract
Wise, J., Lim, K., Morrin, H., Woodfield, T., Currie, M., & Phillips, E. (2018). Engineering a 3D model system for studying breast cancer-adipocyte interactions within the tumour microenvironment. Proceedings of the New Zealand Society for Oncology (NZSO) Conference. Retrieved from http://www.nzsoncology.org.nz/
Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract
Buss, L. A., Mandani, A., Phillips, E., Scott, N. J. A., Currie, M. J., & Dachs, G. U. (2018). Characterisation of a mouse model of breast cancer with metabolic syndrome. In Vivo, 32(5), 1071-1080. doi: 10.21873/invivo.11348
Journal - Research Article
Crake, R., Phillips, E., Morrin, H., Strother, M., Robinson, B., & Currie, M. (2018). Transwell co-culture with human breast adipocytes alters the proteome expression profiles of mcf-7 and mda-mb-231 human breast cancer cells. ESMO Open, 3(Suppl. 2), (pp. A111-A112). doi: 10.1136/esmoopen-2018-EACR25.268
Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract
Phillips, E., Horniblow, R. D., Poole, V., Bedford, M., Ward, D. G., Kirkham, A. J., … Tselspis, C. (2018). A potential role for hepcidin in obesity-driven colorectal tumourigenesis. Oncology Reports, 39(1), 392-400. doi: 10.3892/or.2017.6062
Journal - Research Article
Phillips, E., Lim, K., Woodfield, T., & Currie, M. J. (2017). Towards 3D culture models for the investigation of adipocyte/tumour interaction. New Zealand Medical Journal, 130(1459), (pp. 79). Retrieved from http://www.nzma.org.nz/journal
Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract
Wohlrab, C., Phillips, E., & Dachs, G. U. (2017). Vitamin C transporters in cancer: Current understanding and gaps in knowledge. Frontiers in Oncology, 7, 74. doi: 10.3389/fonc.2017.00074
Journal - Research Article
Robinson, B., Currie, M., Phillips, E., Dachs, G., Strother, M., Morrin, H., Davey, V., & Frampton, C. (2017). Body mass index (BMI): Association with clinicopathological factors and outcome of women with newly diagnosed breast cancer in New Zealand. New Zealand Medical Journal, 130(1451), 46-56. Retrieved from https://www.nzma.org.nz/journal
Journal - Research Article
Ernst, C., Phillips, E., Morrin, H., Vissers, M., Robinson, B., & Dachs, G. (2015, October). The role of ascorbate in controlling hypoxia factors in renal cell carcinoma. Poster session presented at the Otago Spotlight Series: Cancer Research, Wellington, New Zealand.
Conference Contribution - Poster Presentation (not in published proceedings)
Dachs, G. U., Phillips, E., Phung, Y., Dyer, A., Willis, J. A., Currie, M. J., & Robinson, B. A. (2015). Tumour growth in mice resistant to diet-induced obesity. Journal of Molecular Biochemistry, 4(2), 42-49.
Journal - Research Article
Flett, T., Campbell, E., Phillips, E., Vissers, M. C. M., & Dachs, G. U. (2014). Does gene transfer of gulono-lactone oxidase into human hepatocellular carcinoma cells restore ascorbate biosynthesis? Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) 105th Annual Meeting. Retrieved from http://www.aacr.org/home/scientists/meetings--workshops/aacr-annual-meeting-2014.aspx
Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract
Flett, T., Campbell, E. J., Phillips, E., Vissers, M. C. M., & Dachs, G. U. (2014). Gulonolactone addition to human hepatocellular carcinoma cells with gene transfer of gulonolactone oxidase restores ascorbate biosynthesis and reduces hypoxia inducible factor 1. Biomedicines, 2(1), 98-109. doi: 10.3390/biomedicines2010098
Journal - Research Article
Phillips, E. (2013). Activated adipocytes modulate response to chemotherapy in breast cancer cell lines. Proceedings of the New Zealand Society for Oncology (NZSO) Conference. Retrieved from http://www.nzsoncology.org.nz/conference_2013
Conference Contribution - Published proceedings: Abstract
Phillips, E. (2012). Tamoxifen resistance in breast cancer: A proteomic approach (PhD). University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK. Retrieved from http://etheses.bham.ac.uk/3270/
Awarded Doctoral Degree
