Clinical & Translational Research > Paediatric Cancer Biology > Dr Diana Moss
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My research interests have focused on the development of the nervous system and in particular, the role of the IgLON family of cell adhesion molecules in axon guidance and synaptogenesis. I have recently joined the paediatric cancer biology group and brought my experience of the chick embryo model to assist in the study of paediatric tumours, especially neuroblastoma. Survival rates for children presenting with neuroblastoma are poor relative to other paediatric tumours, with over half of patients having metastatic disease at diagnosis. Neuroblastoma can nevertheless undergo spontaneous regression typically in patients less than 12 months of age. This raises the prospect that aggressive tumours can be reprogrammed to benign phenotypes if the right molecular switches can be activated. We are using chick embryos to investigate how the embryonic environment might reprogram the tumour cells to a more benign phenotype. The model enables us to investigate the ability of the tumour cells to target specific tissues in the embryo and the effect of these differing microenvironments on the tumour cells’ ability to proliferate, apoptose, differentiate and migrate. |
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Figure GFP-labelled Neuroblastoma cells were injected into chick embryos at embryonic day 3 and the tissues of an embryonic day 10 chick embryo were analysed A, B, sympathetic ganglia, and C, D, gut. Green fluorescence is GFP Kelly cells, red fluorescence represents A and C, neurofilament; B and D, GAP43. Neuroblastoma cells integrate into these tissues and seldom undergo cell division.J.E. Reed, C.J. McNamee, S. Rackstraw, J. Jenkins and D.J. Moss Diglons are heterodimeric proteins composed of IgLON subunits, and Diglon-CO inhibits neurite outgrowth from cerebellar granule cells. (2004) J Cell Sci.
M.R. Howard, D Spiller, J.E. Reed, C.J. McNamee, M. White and D.J. Moss No barrier to diffusion between cell soma and neurite membranes in sympathetic neurons for a GPI-anchored glycoproteins. (2003) Mol. Cell. Neurosci. 24 296-306
C.J. McNamee, J.E. Reed, M.R. Howard, A.P. Lodge and D.J. Moss Promotion of neuronal cell adhesion by members of the IgLON family occurs in the absence of either support or modification of neurite outgrowth. (2002) J. Neurochem. 80 941-948
M. R. Howard, A. P. Lodge, J. E. Reed, C. J. McNamee and D. J. Moss High-level expression of recombinant Fc-chimeric proteins in suspension cultures of stably-transfected J558L cells. (2002) Biotechniques 32 1282-86
A.P. Lodge, C.J. McNamee, M.R. Howard, J.E. Reed & D.J. Moss Identification and characterisation of CEPU-Se – a secreted isoform of the IgLON family protein, CEPU-1 (2001) Mol. Cell. Neurosci. 17 746-760
A.P. Lodge, M.R. Howard, C.J. McNamee & D.J. Moss Co-localisation, heterophilic interactions and regulated expression of IgLON family proteins in the chick nervous system. Mol. Brain Res. (2000) 82 87-97
A.P. Lodge, A. Walsh, C.J. McNamee & D.J. Moss Identification of ChURP, a nuclear calmodulin-binding protein related to hnRNP-U. Eur J. Biochem. (1999) 261 137-147
G.A. Clarke & D.J. Moss GP55 inhibits both cell adhesion and growth of neurons, but not non neuronal cells, via a G-protein-coupled receptor. Eur J. Neurosci. (1997) 9 334-341
D.J.A. Wilson, D-S, Kim, G.A. Clarke, S Marshall-Clarke & D.J. Moss A family of glycoproteins (GP55) which inhibits neurite outgrowth- are members of the Ig superfamily and are related to OBCAM, neurotrimin and LAMP. J. Cell Sci. (1996) 109 3129-3138
Dr Diana Moss (Research Group Leader)
Department of Human Anatomy and Cell Biology
Sherrington Buildings
Ashton Street
Liverpool
L69 3GE
Tel: 0151 794 5451
Email: D.Moss@liverpool.ac.uk
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