“Micro”-climate Change

Every cancer is a complex microenvironment of malignant cells supported by a wide variety of ‘normal’ cells that are recruited and often corrupted’ by the malignant cells to help the cancer grow and spread. There are ‘exhausted’ immune cells, over-active fibroblasts and tortuous leaky blood vessels often supported by a stiff and abnormal fibrous mesh. Understanding and ‘reprogramming’ this microenvironment can restrict vital supplies to the cancer and re-awaken the immune cells to recognise and destroy malignant cells.

Cells respond to each other and their environment via the action of cell-surface molecules called receptors. Cells have many receptors and each one recognises different molecules (ligands). When a ligand engages with a receptor a signal is generated inside the cell which alters the cell’s behaviour. These interactions help in our growth and development, the way we fight infection and the way in which we heal ourselves. We are trying to exploit a family of receptors which we believe are disease ‘off switches’.