Newcastle University

Roles and Responsibilities

Principal Investigator, Northern Institute for Cancer Research
NICR Postgraduate Tutor

Qualifications

1971 Imperial College BSc (Hons) Physics.
1971 ARCS (Associate of the Royal College of Science)
1978 PhD Biophysics (Cellular and Molecular Biology)
Queen Elizabeth/Kings College, University of London.
1986 CRC/University of Glasgow, Recombinant DNA Training Fellowship.

Previous Positions

1999-2003
Gillespie Reader in Molecular Oncology and Assistant Director,
Cancer Research Unit, University of Newcastle upon Tyne
1994-1999
Senior Lecturer,
Cancer Research Unit, University of Newcastle
1990-1994
Lecturer,
Cancer Research Unit, University of Newcastle
1986-1990
Postdoctoral Research Associate,
Cancer Research Unit, University of Newcastle
1983-1986
Recombinant DNA Fellowship,
Institute of Genetics, University of Glasgow
1975-1983
MRC Scientist
MRC Cyclotron Unit, Royal Postgrad Medical School, Hammersmith Hosp.

Memberships

British Association for Cancer Research
American Association for Cancer Research
European Neuroblastoma Study Group
United Kingdom Children's Cancer Neuroblastoma Study Group

Local Research Groups:-
Northern Institute for Cancer Research
Gynaecologicol Oncology Research Group
Children's Cancer Research Group

Research Interests

Molecular Biology of Cancer

Esteem Indicators

Award of Gillespie Readership in Molecular Oncology
Royal College of Radiologists Cancer Biology Specialist Examiner
American Institute of Biological Sciences Expert Consultant Panel
United Kingdom Children's Cancer Neuroblastoma Study Group
National Representative on the European Neuroblastoma SIOP ENQUA Group
Leukaemia Research Fund Medical and Scientific Advisory Panel

MRC Developmental Pathway Funding Panel 

Editorial boards:
Oncology Reports -1998
European Journal of Cancer 2003 –
Current Cancer Therapy Reviews 2004 -

Supervised students have won 18 national and international prizes

Industrial Relevance

Industrial Collaborations:
Lilly Pharmaceuticals
Astra Zeneca
Siena Biotech
Novocastra (BioNet studentship)
Cancer Research Technology

Patents

Isoindolinone inhibitors of the MDM2-p53 interaction.
(In conjunction with Cancer Research Technology)

Undergraduate Teaching

BSc Pharmacology PED3006 Module: "Carcinogenesis and Anticancer Drugs"

Postgraduate Teaching

MSc in Oncology/Palliative Care,
Module Leader for ONC800 "Cancer Cell, Molecular Biology & Genetics".
NICR Postgraduate Tutor
PhD and MD supervisor:
Have successfully supervised 37 PhD and 6 MD students
Currently supervise 3 PhD's and 2 MD's

• Sung PJ, Boulos N, Tilby MJ, Andrews WD, Newbold RF, Tweddle DA, Lunec J. Identification and characterisation of STMN4 and ROBO2 gene involvement in neuroblastoma cell differentiation. Cancer Letters 2013, 328(1), 168-175.
• Gamble LD, Kees UR, Tweddle DA, Lunec J. MYCN sensitizes neuroblastoma to the MDM2-p53 antagonists Nutlin-3 and MI-63. Oncogene 2012, 31, 752-763.
• Biswas S, Lunec J, Bartlett K. Non-glucose metabolism in cancer cells—is it all in the fat?. Cancer and Metastasis Reviews 2012, 31(3-4), 689-698.
• Watson AF, Liu JF, Bennaceur K, Drummond CJ, Endicott JA, Golding BT, Griffin RJ, Haggerty K, Lu XH, McDonnell JM, Newell DR, Noble MEM, Revill CH, Riedinger C, Xu Q, Zhao Y, Lunec J, Hardcastle IR. MDM2-p53 protein-protein interaction inhibitors: A-ring substituted isoindolinones. Bioorganic & Medicinal Chemistry Letters 2011, 21(19), 5916-5919.
• Ambros IM, Brunner B, Aigner G, Bedwell C, Beiske K, Bénard J, Bown N, Combaret V, Couturier J, Defferrari R, Gross N, Jeison M, Lunec J, Marques B, Martinsson T, Mazzocco K, Noguera R, Schleiermacher G, Speleman F, Stallings R, Tonini GP, Tweddle DA, Valent A, Vicha A, Roy NV, Villamon E, Ziegler A, Preuner S, Drobics M, Ladenstein R, Amann G, Schuit RJ, Pötschger U, Ambros PF. A Multilocus Technique for Risk Evaluation of Patients with Neuroblastoma. Clinical Cancer Research 2011, 17(4), 792-804.
• Hardcastle IR, Liu J, Valeur E, Watson A, Ahmed SU, Blackburn TJ, Bennaceur K, Clegg W, Drummond C, Endicott JA, Golding BT, Griffin RJ, Gruber J, Haggerty K, Harrington RW, Hutton C, Kemp S, Lu X, McDonnell JM, Newell DR, Noble ME, Payne SL, Revill CH, Riedinger C, Xu Q, Lunec J. Isoindolinone Inhibitors of the Murine Double Minute 2 (MDM2)-p53 Protein-Protein Interaction: Structure-ActivityStudies Leading to Improved Potency. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry 2011, 54(5), 1233-1243.
• Hill CM, Lunec J. The TNF-ligand and receptor super families: Controllers of immunity and the trojan horses of autoimmune disease?. Molecular Aspects of Medicine 1996, 17, 455-&.
• Hardcastle, I.R., Ahmed, S., Atkins, H., Farnie, G., Golding, B.T., Griffin, R.J., Guyenne, S., Hutton,C., Källblad, P., Kemp, S., Kitching, M.S., Newell, D.R., Norbedo, S., Northen, J.S., Reid, R.J., Saravanan, K., Willems, H., Lunec, J. Small-molecule inhibitors of the MDM2-p53 protein-protein interaction based on an isoindolinone scaffold. Journal of Medicinal Chemistry 2006, 49(21), 6209-6221.
• Tweddle, D. A., Malcolm, A. J., Cole, M., Pearson, A. D. J., Lunec, J. p53 cellular localization and function in neuroblastoma: evidence for defective G1 arrest despite WAF1 induction in MYCN-amplified cells. American Journal of Pathology 2001, 158(6), 2067-2077.
• Liang, H., Lunec, J. Characterisation of a novel p53 down-regulated promoter in intron 3 of the human MDM2 oncogene. Gene 2005, 361(1-2), 112-118.
• Liang, H., Atkins, H., Abdel-Fattah, R., Jones, S., Lunec, J. Genomic organisation of the human MDM2 oncogene and relationship to its alternatively spliced mRNAs. Gene 2004, 338(2), 217-223.
• Gilbertson RJ, Hernan R, Lewin J, Pietsch T, Pinto L, Scotting P, Allibone R, Ellison D, Perry RH, Pearson ADJ, Lunec J. Novel ErbB4 juxtamembrane splice variants and the truncated ErbB2 receptor isoform are frequently expressed in childhood medulloblastoma. Genes, Chromosomes & Cancer 2001, 31(3), 288-294.
• Challen C, Anderson JJ, Chrzanowska-Lightowlers ZMA, Lightowlers R, Lunec J. Recombinant human MDM2 oncoprotein shows sequence composition selectivity for binding to both RNA and DNA. International Journal of Oncology 2012, 40(3), 851-859.
• Carr-Wilkinson J, O'Toole K, Wood KM, Challen CC, Baker AG, Board JR, Evans L, Cole M, Cheung NV, Boos J, Kohler G, Leuschner I, Pearson ADJ, Lunec J, Tweddle DA. High frequency of p53/MDM2/p14^ARF pathway abnormalities in relapsed neuroblastoma. Clinical Cancer Research 2010, 16(4), 1108-1118.
• Chen L, Iraci N, Gherardi S, Gamble LD, Wood KM, Perini G, Lunec J, Tweddle DA. p53 is a direct transcriptional target of MYCN in neuroblastoma. Cancer Research 2010, 70(4), 1377-1388.
• Nutt JE, Razak ARA, O'Toole K, Black F, Quinn AE, Calvert AH, Plummer ER, Lunec J. The role of folate receptor alpha (FR alpha) in the response of malignant pleural mesothelioma to pemetrexed-containing chemotherapy. British Journal of Cancer 2010, 102(3), 553-560.
• Quinn AE, Pinkney M, Piggott NH, Calvert H, Milton ID, Lunec J. A Monoclonal Antibody for Detection of Folylpolyglutamate Synthetase in Paraffin Embedded Tissues. Hybridoma 2009, 28(6), 415-421.
• Razak ARA, Nutt JE, O'Toole K, Black F, Plummer ER, Calvert AH, Lunec J. Expression of folate receptor alpha (FRa) in malignant pleural mesothelioma patients by immunohistochemistry: a clinico-pathological analysis. In: Lung Cancer: 7th Annual BTOG Meeting. 2009, Dublin, Ireland: Elsevier Ireland Ltd.
• Nutt JE, O'Toole KT, Gonzalez D, Lunec J. Growth inhibition by tyrosine kinase inhibitors in mesothelioma cell lines. European Journal of Cancer 2009, 45(9), 1684-1691.
• Logan IR, McNeill HV, Cook S, Lu X, Meek DW, Fuller-Pace FV, Lunec J, Robson CN. Heat shock factor-1 modulates p53 activity in the transcriptional response to DNA damage. Nucleic Acids Research 2009, 37(9), 2962-2973.
• Lu X, Vogt P, Boger D, Lunec J. Disruption of the MYC transcriptional function by a small-molecule antagonist of MYC/MAX dimerization. Oncology Reports 2008, 19(3), 825-830.
• Todd R, Lunec J. Molecular pathology and potential therapeutic targets in soft-tissue sarcoma. Expert Review of Anticancer Therapy 2008, 8(6), 939-948.
• Carr J, Bell E, Pearson ADJ, Kees U, Beris H, Lunec J, Tweddle DA. Increased frequency of aberrations in the p53/MDM2/p14ARF pathway in neuroblastoma cell lines established at relapse. Cancer Research 2006, 66(4), 2138-2145.
• Nutt, J., Lazarowicz, H., Mellon, J., Lunec, J. Gefitinib ('Iressa', ZD1839) inhibits the growth response of bladder tumour cell lines to epidermal growth factor and induces TIMP2. British Journal of Cancer 2004, 90(8), 1679-1685.
• Lu, X., Pearson, A.D.J., Lunec, J. The MYCN oncoprotein as a drug development target. Cancer Letters 2003, 197(1-2), 125-130.
• Scott, D., Board, J., Lu, X., Pearson, A.D.J., Kenyon, R., Lunec, J. The neuroblastoma amplified gene, NAG: Genomic structure and characterisation of the 7.3 kb transcript predominantly expressed in neuroblastoma. Gene 2003, 307(1-2), 1-11.
• Tweddle, D. A., Malcolm, A. J., Bown, N. P., Pearson, A. D. J., Lunec, J. Evidence for the development of p53 mutations after cytotoxic therapy in a neuroblastoma cell line. Cancer Research 2001, 61(1), 8-13.
• Gilbertson RJ, Clifford SC, MacMeekin W, Wright C, Perry RH, Kelly P, Pearson ADJ, Lunec J. Expression of the ErbB-neuregulin signaling network during human cerebellar development: Implications for the biology of medulloblastoma. Cancer Research 1998, 58(17), 3932-3941.
• Rankin KS, Starkey M, Lunec J, Gerrand CH, Murphy S, Biswas S. Of Dogs and Men: Comparative Biology as a Tool for the Discovery of Novel Biomarkers and Drug Development Targets in osteosarcoma. Pediatric Blood & Cancer 2012, 58(3), 327-333.
• Biswas S, Rankin KS, Long A, Jackson J, Howard R, Nisar S, Birch M, Lunec J. The prognostic role of MT1-MMP and HIF Isoforms in Human Osteosarcoma. In: American Association for Cancer Research (AACR). 2012, Chicago, Illinois, USA.
• Carr-Wilkinson J, Griffiths R, Elston R, Goranov B, Redfern CPF, Gamble LD, Lunec J, Tweddle DA. Outcome of the p53-mediated DNA damage response in neuroblastoma is determined by morphological subtype and MYCN expression. Cell Cycle 2011, 10(21), 3778-3787.
• Elsden JL, Kenyon RM, George RE, Godbout R, Pearson ADJ, Lunec J. Is DDX1 an oncogene? How does its pattern of expression relate to its amplification status?. In: British Cancer Research Meeting 2001. 2001, Leeds, UK: Churchill Livingstone.