Dr Suzanne Eccles, Tumour Biology and Metastasis Group, McElwain Laboratories, Cancer Research UK Centre for Cancer Therapeutics, Institute of Cancer Research, Cotswold Rd., Belmont, Sutton, SM2 5NG UNITED KINGDOM

ICR is one of the world's leading cancer research organisations and its work ranges from basic research in molecular biology and radiation physics through to clinical trials and epidemiological studies. Within the ICR the Cancer Research UK Centre for Cancer Therapeutics was founded in 1994 to research novel therapeutics for the treatment of cancer, using both gene therapy and small molecule drugs acting on molecular targets. Involved in MetaBre is the Tumour Biology and Metastasis research group led by Dr Suzanne Eccles, whose research is oriented towards processes of angiogenesis and metastasis particularly to the lymph nodes, in cancers of the breast, colon, head and neck and in undertaking preclinical evaluation of novel therapies arising from the Centre's drug discovery initiatives.

In MetaBre, ICR will contribute particularly to the understanding of angiogenesis and development of metastases in lymph nodes, investigating the role of c-erbB oncogenes (especially EGFR and c-erbB-2) and MMPs. The group is already funded to develop novel targeted therapies through to pre-clinical trials and has expertise related to monoclonal antibodies and signalling inhibitors. The group offers novel in vitro assays of cell invasion and angiogenesis based on relatively high throughput real time imaging of fluorescently labelled cells, models of lymphatic lung and liver metastasis (including GFP-tagged cells and in situ imaging), and the possibility to "build" a human tumour from mixed cell populations and stroma, for testing of drug therapies.

Activities in MetaBre: deputy coordinator (dissemination of results), mechanisms of metastasis in lymph nodes, role of c-erbB oncogenes in angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis, in vitro and in vivo models of invasion, angiogenesis and metastasis, imaging, evaluation of novel therapies, MRS/MRI