The role of vitamin D3 in treating skin cancer and preventing drug resistance

During the last decade numerous studies have alluded to vitamin D₃ playing a role in the prevention of cancer. Recent clinical trials looking at the potential role of vitamin D₃ in cancer prevention showed no difference between participants taking vitamin D₃ and those with placebo. Interestingly in the follow up period where participants had cancer the deaths between the two groups started to widen suggesting vitamin D may rather play a role in reducing aggressiveness of cancer cells and metastasis rather than preventing the development of cancer. This work is supported by meta-analyses that suggest vitamin D has a more beneficial effect on cancer mortality than cancer incidence.

Melanoma remains one the most lethal types of skin cancer with current treatments showing low efficacy and patients with metastasis having poor prognosis. In house preliminary data has shown some interesting effects in a melanoma cell line when treated with drug candidate cilengitide or vitamin D alone and in combination.

The aim of the project is to determine if there is a link between the positive anticancer effects of vitamin D in preventing metastasis and preventing kinase inhibitor resistance development and the promotion of metastasis and drug resistance in melanoma cancer.

This work looks to extend our current research (Ahmedah et al., 2017; Sutherland et al, 2012; 2023) and further explore the mechanisms involved in the role of integrin/ECM binding to both metastasis and drug resistance and whether there is an overlap with vitamin D₃ anti-metastatic and kinase inhibitor resistance pathways. The successful candidate will have the opportunity to develop their research skills in techniques such as:

1. Cell culture of different melanoma cell lines and creating kinase inhibitor resistant cell lines.
2. Validating gene expression profile of the target genes in the cells using techniques including qPCR and Western blot.
3. Determining the best combination therapy and investigate effects on the target genes.
4. Measuring the effects of combination treatments on cell migration (scratch assay) and 3D cell culture (spheroid invasion assay).
5. Determine if optimal combination therapy reduces the time to develop kinase inhibitor drug resistance

Entry requirements:

Applicants should have at least a 2:1 honours degree in Biology, Biomedical sciences or related degree.

How to apply

Formal applications can be submitted via the University of Bradford web site; applicants will need to register an account and select 'Full-time PhD in Biomedical Science' as the course, and then specify the project title when prompted.

About the University of Bradford

Bradford is a research-active University supporting the highest-quality research. We excel in applying our research to benefit our stakeholders by working with employers and organisations world-wide across the private, public, voluntary and community sectors and actively encourage and support our postgraduate researchers to engage in research and business development activities.

About the Faculty of Life Sciences

The faculty comprises a mixture of academic divisions, research centres and outreach facilities. We provide high-quality teaching with a professional focus and engage in cutting-edge research – which we seek to apply through our extensive links with industry and business. We also offer a wide range of postgraduate taught and research courses.

Many of our academics are active researchers and international research experts.

Our interdisciplinary research themes are focus on:

• Computational and Data-driven Science
• Interface of Chemistry Biology and Materials
• Health, Society, People and Place
• The Life Course

Our research centres include:

• Centre for Pharmaceutical Engineering Science
• Digital Health Enterprise Zone
• Institute of Cancer Therapeutics
• Wolfson Centre for Applied Research

University investment in research support services, equipment and infrastructure provides an excellent research environment and broad portfolio of developmental opportunities. 

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At the University of Bradford our vision is a world of inclusion and equality of opportunity, where people want to, and can, make a difference. We place equality and diversity, inclusion, and a commitment to social mobility at the centre of our mission and ethos. In working to make a difference we are committed to addressing systemic inequality and disadvantages experienced by Black, Asian and Minority Ethnic staff and students.

Under sections 158-159 of the Equality Act 2010, positive action can be taken where protected group members are under-represented. At Bradford, our data show that people from Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic groups who are UK nationals are significantly under-represented at the postgraduate researcher level. 

These are lawful measures designed to address systemic and structural issues which result in the under-representation of Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic students in PGR studies.