Senior Lecturer in Molecular Metabolism Dr Emma Vincent’s research group is focused on the link between metabolism and cancer. They are interested in both whole body metabolism and metabolism within cells, and investigate how dysregulated metabolism influences cancer development and whether they can be targeted to prevent or treat the disease.

One area of interest looks at why people with metabolic diseases, like obesity and type 2 diabetes, are at an increased risk of cancer. Given the dramatically increasing prevalence of metabolic disease, the associated elevated cancer risk needs to be investigated. They mainly focus on colorectal cancer (also known as large bowel cancer) as it has been shown to be caused by obesity. They study how having a metabolic disease causes changes to the  body’s cells and how this might drive colorectal cancer development. The group are particularly interested in colorectal cancer prevention and whether losing weight or adhering to a particular diet might reduce colorectal cancer risk.

The group take an interdisciplinary approach to research, using techniques in epidemiology to guide and inform laboratory-based cell biology. For example, they analyse samples and data from randomised control trials of dietary intervention studies (e.g., a very low-calorie diet) to determine how losing weight changes the body’s cells and tissues. They use techniques in genetic epidemiology and laboratory work to determine whether these changes might protect against colorectal cancer.

Another topic of interest is investigating and understanding how metabolism is altered in colorectal cancer cells as they develop. Cancer cells must metabolise nutrients in order to support their growth and proliferation. The group are looking to understand how they do this and how this process might be targeted for cancer prevention and treatment.

https://www.bristol.ac.uk/people/person/Emma-Vincent-712bb62c-1bde-43e5-ac46-2f3493af1997/

Publications:

• Riscal R et al. (2021). Cholesterol Auxotrophy as a Targetable Vulnerability in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma. Cancer Discovery.
• Jones N et al. (2021). Fructose reprogrammes glutamine-dependent oxidative metabolism to support LPS-induced inflammation. Nature Communications.
• Bull CJ et al. (2020). Adiposity, metabolites, and colorectal cancer risk: Mendelian randomization study. BMC Medicine.