University of East Anglia

(Norfolk & Norwich University Hospital)

Dr Simon Rushbrook

The overall goal of Dr Rushbrook’s project is to advance the understanding of survival pathways in cholangiocarcinoma which enable malignant cells to survive, grow, and evade chemotherapy.

He plans to test the following hypotheses using cholangiocarcinoma patient samples and cell lines:

• The cytoprotective transcription factor NRF2 is activated in cholangiocarcinoma cells but not in non-malignant cholangiocytes.
• Inhibiting NRF2 activity in cholangiocarcinoma cells will inhibit both survival and protection from chemotherapy agents.