LAY TITLE: To compare the levels of Larp1 protein in tumour tissue taken from patients with ovarian cancer before they received chemotherapy and compare it to biopsies taken from the same patients once their tumours had become resistant to chemotherapy.

Cancer cells have the ability to grow and divide in a hostile environment, ignoring signals from surrounding cells and thriving despite oxygen starvation. This is even more pronounced in chemotherapy resistance, where cancer cells continue to grow even when exposed to toxic chemicals. One of the survival mechanisms employed by these cells is to translate a specific subset of survival proteins (from RNA) via a "fast-track" form of translation. Dr Blagden’s team have shown that Larp1 is required for this form of translation to occur. Without it, cancer cells die. Preliminary studies show that levels of Larp1 are higher in cancer cells taken from patients with chemotherapy-resistant disease compared to cells taken from the same patients when their tumour was sensitive to chemotherapy. In this project, we aim to create a database of histopathological specimens taken from approximately 30 patients with ovarian cancer before and after they acquire chemotherapy resistance. We will then compare levels of Larp1 protein to confirm whether larp1 levels increase after developing chemotherapy resistance (as was suggested in the preliminary data). We will also look at other proteins and genes that may be involved. This will give us important information on how cancers develop resistance to chemotherapy and whether Larp1 would be an important protein to target as a means of overcoming chemotherapy resistance in patients.

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