The majority (>90%) of cancer deaths are due to metastasis, the occurrence of secondary tumours remote from the primary tumour. There are few effective treatments for metastasis, survival rates are poor and development of resistance to treatment is also a problem. There is a great need for new and more effective treatments for metastasis.
The objective of our research is to develop an in vivo model, using zebrafish embryos, to study the movement and dormancy of tumour cells leaving a primary tumour. We have developed a model system whereby cultured human tumour cells are fluorescently labelled and injected into zebrafish embryos. We have shown that cultured human tumour cells survive in zebrafish embryos and tumour cell behaviour can be investigated. The host genotype can be modified using the CRISP/Cas genome editing system. Tumour cells can be tracked in their development and progression. We aim to uncover the signalling involved in the movement of tumour cells away from a primary tumour, and to investigate ways to manipulate this signalling to control the migration. We will also investigate the tumour cell dormant state, to uncover the signals that "reawaken" the cells and investigate intervention such that the cells can be forced to remain dormant.