Kyle Shead
Email: k.shead.1@research.gla.ac.uk
Research title: Use of IPSCs as a novel platform to screen for cardiotoxicity in anti-cancer therapies
Research Summary
Cardiotoxic effects of Anti-Cancer Therapies
Cancer patients are at a high risk of developing cardiovascular disease. In some instances this is due to direct cardiotoxic effects of specific systemic anti-cancer therapies (SACT) during treatment. These include; anthracyclines, Tyrosine Kinase Inhibitors, Proteasome Inhibitors and more. The aim of my research is to use basic science techniques, namely use of human induced pluripotent stem cell derived cardiomyocytes (hiPSC-CM) to:
- Modelling drug-induced cardiotoxicity to enable better predicition of cardiotoxcity in patients
- Identifying molecular pathways involved in the progression of cardiotoxicity in to find novel therapies and/or preventative measures
- To understand and model the effects of patient-relevant comorbidities on the onset of cardiotoxicity during certain cancer treatment regimens
Techniques used:
- Fluorescence microscopy to measure hiPSC-CM electrophysiology
- Calcium measurements in hiPSC-CMs
- Image analysis of cellular contractility and health
- Biomarker analysis
- Immunofluorescence
Other interests:
- 3D cell culture
- Cellular signalling
- Protein post-translational modifications
- Cancer