Project Title: Can exercise induce anti-cancer effects?

Overview: Come and join our team for an exciting research project examining the protective effects of exercise against cancer that recently featured in The Times (Can exercise slow down cancer? | Times2 | The Times)!

Together with colleagues at Newcastle University, our preliminary study found that only serum collected from men (with colorectal cancer risk factors) who completed a single session of acute exercise (https://clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT04057274) inhibited the growth of colorectal cancer cells. This work is currently under review at the prestigious International Journal of Cancer.

However, this work was only performed on cancer cells growing in 2D (two dimensional) culture conditions. Recent evidence has shown culturing cancer cells as 3D organoids is more representative of the tissue conditions experienced by cells within a tumour. The current project will use 3D organoid culture models to assess the anti-cancer effects of exercise on tumour growth. The identification of new anti-cancer molecules released during acute exercise could be used to optimise exercise-based rehabilitation programmes for cancer patients.

Aim: To develop a 3D organoid model for screening participant serum to identify new exercise-induced anti-cancer molecules.

Research Question: Can we translate our previous findings from 2D cell culture models into a 3D organoid system and identify new anti-cancer molecules from participants blood?

Contact: If you would like to be involved in an exercise-cancer prevention clinical trial at YSJU or would like further information about the project and how to apply, please contact Dr Owen Kavanagh (o.kavanagh@yorksj.ac.uk).

Note: As this position is part-funded by YSJU, the successful applicant must be in post by February 2022.