Research Fellow
BSc(Hons)(Sheffield) PhD(Birmingham)
Email elisabeth.phillips@otago.ac.nz
Tel +64 3 364 0557
Research interests
The main focus of Dr Elisabeth Phillips' research is related to the field of cancer cell biology.
Dr Phillips has mainly focused on breast cancer; investigating the mechanisms behind therapy resistance using proteomics and investigating the risk factor obesity and how it contributes to the progression of cancer. Obesity is known to have a negative impact on breast cancer; obese women have more distant metastases at diagnosis and have higher mortality rates.
Through gaining insight into the biology of the adipocyte and the interaction that occurs between tumour cells and this largely neglected stromal cell we can determine whether the local effects of the adipocytes impact upon tumour cell biology.
Mass spectrometry and antibody array technology can be used to assess adipocyte secreted factors to determine which are important in modulating epithelial cell fate and cancer progression and or response to therapy.
Publications
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
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
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
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
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/
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
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
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
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
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
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
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.
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
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/
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/
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
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/
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
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
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
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 - 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.
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.
Awarded Doctoral Degree
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/
