Oncogenic Signalling Laboratory

The Oncogenic Signalling Laboratory is a highly collaborative team of researchers, clinicians and students who work together for the common goal of curing adult and childhood high-grade glioma (HGG).

High-grade gliomas, including glioblastoma in adults and diffuse intrinsic pontine glioma in children, continue to have a miserable outcome with most patients dying within 2 years of diagnosis. There has been very little improvement in the prognosis for HGG patients for over 30 years and standard treatments simply do not work. There is a critical need for more effective therapeutic options.

Hyperactive epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signalling (a protein on the cell surface that sends messages from the outside to the inside of the cell) drives the growth of many HGGs. The Oncogenic Signalling Laboratory has played an integral role in developing therapeutic antibodies that block this signalling mechanism. These antibodies are being tested in clinical trials, while we continue to understand how to use them more effectively and in combination with other drugs.

The challenge of overcoming the development of drug resistance by HGG remains daunting and is the major obstacle that needs to be overcome to manage, and ultimately cure, the disease. The Oncogenic Signalling Laboratory continues to tackle this difficult problem in new and innovative ways as part of the global effort to improve the outcomes for HGG patients. We are particularly interested in targeting ion channels, which are pore-forming proteins that control the flow of small charged molecules (like potassium) in and out of the cell, as we believe they cause resistance to current HGG therapies.

If you are interested in joining his laboratory as a student or researcher, please contact Professor Terrance Johns.