PhD Studentship: Metabolism of amino acids as a therapeutic target and predictor of leukaemia patient outcome

Metabolism of amino acids as a therapeutic target and predictor of leukaemia patient outcome. 

An opportunity to apply for a funded full-time PhD in the College of Health, Education and Social Sciences, UWE Bristol.  The studentship will be funded by The University of the West of England:

Ref 2223-APR-CHSS04

The expected start date of this studentship is 01 April 2023

The closing date for applications is 12 February 2023. 

Studentship Details

Leukaemia is responsible for the death of over 350,000 people annually worldwide, with over 75% of these deaths occurring in individuals over 65 years of age (Cancer Research UK).  Intensive chemotherapeutic intervention is initiated immediately, however only 5% of the elderly population can be cured (Eleni et al., 2010).  In addition, the poor fitness of many elderly individuals leads to quality-of-life issues when considering treatment (Klepin et al., 2014).  It is therefore imperative that new treatment options are produced for this deadly disease.  

Our previous work in glioblastomas demonstrated that there is an increased expression of amino acid metabolising enzymes in this cancer.  Furthermore, one of these enzymes correlated with a more aggressive phenotype, and poorer outcome for the patient (Conway et al., 2016) establishing aberrant amino acid metabolism as a driver of cancer progression.  Furthermore, our work in leukaemic cell models have demonstrated that (i) leukaemic metabolic profile correlates with chemotherapy resistance in culture; and (ii) each cell line has a unique nutritional requirement.  This strongly indicates that our previous findings in glioblastoma will be repeated in leukaemia samples. 

The techniques that will be most heavily used in this PhD include wet transfer Western blotting, tissue culture, viability assays, and use of the Seahorse XFe24 Metabolic Analyser.  Experience in at least some of these techniques would be ideal – however you will certainly not be expected to know all of them. 

This project has great potential to further our understanding of leukaemia and amino acid metabolism in cancers, leading to novel therapeutic opportunities.  The metabolic sensitivity of leukaemic cells to amino acid deprivation will lead to a targeted therapy in leukaemia through dietary restrictions or enzymatic infusion, acting as an adjunct to chemotherapy.  Metabolic changes are a key mechanism driving cancer progression; however, they are currently underexploited. 

For an informal discussion about the studentship, please email jonathon2.hull@uwe.ac.uk

Funding details

The studentship is available from 01 April 2023 for a period of three years, subject to satisfactory progress and includes a tax exempt stipend, which is currently £17668 (2022/23) per annum. 

In addition, full-time tuition fees will be covered for up to three years.

Eligibility

Applicants must have BSc in an applied science (e.g. biomedical science) and ideally will have an MRes of MSc. 

How to apply

Please submit your application online. When prompted use the reference number 2223-APR-CHSS04.

Supporting documentation: you will need to upload your research proposal, all your degree certificates and transcripts and a recognised English language qualification is required.

References: you will need to provide details of two referees as part of your application.

The closing date for applications is 12 February 2023.

Further Information

If you have not heard from us by 06/03/23, we thank you for your application but on this occasion you have not been successful.

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