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Contact Details

Phone
+64 3 364 0544
Email
margaret.currie@otago.ac.nz
Position
Research Associate Professor and Associate Dean (Postgraduate Studies), Faculty of Medicine – Christchurch
Department
Department of Pathology and Molecular Medicine (Christchurch)
Qualifications
MSc PhD
Research summary
Cancer research

Research

I am interested in how the tumour microenvironment affects tumour growth, tumour cell metastasis and tumour response to therapy. The local tumour microenvironment is the milieu within which the tumour develops, and includes tumour blood vessels, other cells types (e.g. immune cells, fibroblasts, adipocytes), soluble growth factors and signalling molecules. All the various components of the tumour microenvironment can influence tumour growth and spread and, conversely, tumour cells can influence the local tumour microenvironment. A further layer of complexity exists because the wider tumour microenvironment (i.e. the body within which the tumour develops) alters with age and health, and is affected by systemic changes in metabolism, hormones and immunity.

Our group has been investigating the contribution of stromal cells and the tumour microenvironment to human tumour biology since the inception of our research group in 1998. Initially, our research focused on tumour blood vessel development and anti-angiogenic therapies. However, since 2009 my interests have expanded to include the contribution to tumour progression made by tumour infiltrating immune cell populations, breast cancer stem cell-like populations, and obesity-related factors.

Publications

Wise, J. A., Currie, M. J., Woodfield, T. B. F., Lim, K. S., & Phillips, E. (2026). Gelatin-methacryloyl hydrogel stiffness influences epithelial-mesenchymal transition in MCF7 but not MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells in 3D culture. Biology Open, 15(2), bio062242. doi: 10.1242/bio.062212 Journal - Research Article

Symonds, E. K. C., Schmidt, A. J., Brown, A. W., Currie, M. J., Herst, P. M., Hally, K. E., & Danielson, K. M. (2025). Development of a 3D in Vitro wound healing model to assess the effect of ADSC-EVs on vascularization. Tissue Engineering Part A. Advance online publication. doi: 10.1177/19373341251383899 Journal - Research Article

Currie, M. (2025, May). Exercise oncology. Verbal presentation at the New Zealand Aotearoa Neuro-Oncology Society (NANOS) 3rd Annual Conference, Christchurch, New Zealand. Conference Contribution - Verbal presentation and other Conference outputs

Topham, B., Hock, B., Phillips, E., Wiggins, G., & Currie, M. (2024). The role of innate priming in modifying tumor-associated macrophage phenotype. Frontiers in Bioscience - Landmark, 29(12), 418. doi: 10.31083/j.fbl2912418 Journal - Research Other

Topham, B., de Vries, M., Nonis, M., van Berkel, R., Pullar, J. M., Magon, N. J., Vissers, M. C. M., Currie, M. J., Robinson, B. A., Gibbs, D., Ang, A., & Dachs, G. U. (2024). Blood vitamin C levels of patients receiving immunotherapy and relationship to monocyte subtype and epigenetic modification. Epigenomes, 8, 17. doi: 10.3390/epigenomes8020017 Journal - Research Article

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