Associate Professor Margaret Currie

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.