Introduction
 The Transgenic Models Lab develops and utilises sophisticated genetic models that recapitulate human cancer. Using models of intestinal cancer, pancreatic cancer, breast cancer and melanoma we can better understand how cancer cells behave and metastasise, and develop biologically relevant systems for testing novel therapeutic agents.
One of the genes our lab is particularly interested in is RUNX2, which belongs to the family of RUNX genes. These genes are essential regulators in mammalian development, most notably for bone and blood cell lineages. Like many genes important for normal development, the RUNX genes are linked to human cancer, but interestingly have been found to both promote and suppress tumour formation, a paradox we are exploring. Studies suggest that expression of RUNX2 correlates with metastatic breast and prostate cancer and we are investigating how this gene might confer these properties in cancer cells.
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Lab Report
 Scientific Report 2010 Blyth
Key Publications
Kilbey A, Blyth K, Wotton S, Terry A, Jenkins A, Bell M, Hanlon L, Cameron ER, Neil JC (2007). Runx2 disruption promotes immortalization and confers resistance to oncogene-induced senescence in primary murine fibroblasts. Cancer Res. 67, 11263-71.
Blyth K, Vaillant F, Hanlon L, Mackay N, Bell M, Jenkins A, Neil JC, Cameron ER (2006). Runx2 and MYC collaborate in lymphoma development by suppressing apoptotic and growth arrest pathways in vivo. Cancer Res. 66, 2195-201.
Blyth K, Cameron ER, Neil JC (2005). The RUNX genes: gain or loss of function in cancer. Nat Rev Cancer 5, 376-87.
Vaillant F, Blyth K, Andrew L, Neil JC, Cameron ER (2002). Enforced expression of Runx2 perturbs T-cell development at a stage coincident with beta-selection. J Immunol. 169, 2866-74.
Blyth K, Terry A, Mackay N, Vaillant F, Bell M, Cameron ER, Neil JC, Stewart M (2001). Runx2: a novel oncogenic effector revealed by in vivo complementation and retroviral tagging. Oncogene 20, 295-302.
Stewart M, Terry A, Hu M, O’Hara M, Blyth K, Baxter E, Cameron E, Onions DE, Neil JC (1997). Proviral insertions induce the expression of bone-specific isoforms of PEBP2alphaA (CBFA1): evidence for a new myc collaborating oncogene. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 94, 8646-51.
Biography
Education and qualifications
1997: PhD, University of Glasgow, Supervisors Ewan Cameron & Moyra Campbell
1991: BSc, Biochemistry (Honours), University of Glasgow
Appointments
2009-present: Head of Transgenic Models, Beatson Institute for Cancer Research
2009-present: Honorary Senior Lecturer, University of Glasgow
1997-2008: Postdoctoral Fellow, Molecular Oncology Lab, University of Glasgow
1991-1996: Research Assistant, University of Glasgow
Recent Publications
Blyth K, Vaillant F, Jenkins A, McDonald L, Pringle MA, Huser C, Stein T, Neil J, Cameron ER (2010). Runx2 in normal tissues and cancer cells: A developing story. Blood Cells Mol Dis. 45, 117-23.
Woodcock SA, Rushton HJ, Castaneda-Saucedo E, Myant K, White GR, Blyth K, Sansom OJ, Malliri A (2010). Tiam1-Rac signalling counteracts Eg5 during bipolar spindle assembly to facilitate chromosome congression. Curr Biol. 20, 669-75.
Blyth K, Slater N, Hanlon L, Bell M, Mackay N, Stewart M, Neil JC, Cameron ER (2009). Runx1 promotes B-cell survival and lymphoma development. Blood Cells Mol Dis. 43, 12-9.
Scobie L, Hector RD, Grant L, Bell M, Nielsen AA, Meikle S, Philbey A, Thrasher AJ, Cameron ER, Blyth K, Neil JC (2009). A novel model of SCID-X1 reconstitution reveals predisposition to retrovirus-induced lymphoma but no evidence of gammaC gene oncogenicity. Mol Ther. 17, 1031-8.
Kilbey A, Blyth K, Wotton S, Terry A, Jenkins A, Bell M, Hanlon L, Cameron ER, Neil JC (2007). Runx2 disruption promotes immortalization and confers resistance to oncogene-induced senescence in primary murine fibroblasts. Cancer Res. 67, 11263-71.
Stewart M, Mackay N, Hanlon L, Blyth K, Scobie L, Cameron E, Neil JC (2007). Insertional mutagenesis reveals progression genes and checkpoints in MYC/Runx2 lymphomas. Cancer Res. 67, 5126-33.
Blyth K, Vaillant F, Hanlon L, Mackay N, Bell M, Jenkins A, Neil JC, Cameron ER (2006). Runx2 and MYC collaborate in lymphoma development by suppressing apoptotic and growth arrest pathways in vivo. Cancer Res. 66, 2195-201.
Thrasher AJ, Gaspar HB, Baum C, Modlich U, Schambach A, Candotti F, Otsu M, Sorrentino B, Scobie L, Cameron E, Blyth K, Neil J, Abina SH, Cavazzana-Calco M, Fischer A (2006). Gene Therapy: X-SCID transgene leukaemogenicity. Nature 443, E5-6.
Blyth K, Cameron ER, Neil JC (2005). The RUNX genes: gain or loss of function in cancer. Nat Rev Cancer 5, 376-87.
Lab Members
Post-doc: Laura McDonald
Scientific Officers: Dimitris Athineos, Susan Mason
PhD Student: Nicola Ferrari
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