Staff Profile

Background:

PhD Paediatric Oncology, Newcastle University

BSc (Hons) Biomedical Sciences, Newcastle University

Undergraduate Teaching:

• BGM1002 Biochemistry (Module Leader)
• CMB1004 Cell Biology
• CMB1005 Practical Skills in Biomedical & Biomolecular Sciences 1
• CMB1006 Practical Skills in Biomedical & Biomolecular Sciences 2
• PSC2002 Membrane Transport and Cell Signalling in Health and Disease
• PED2001 Drug Disposition and Pharmacokinetics
• PED2006 Systems Pharmacology
• CMB3001 Experimental Design and the Process of Research
• CMB3000 Research Project
• BMS3010 Genetics and Human Disease

Other Roles and Responsibilities:

Personal Tutor

Phase 1 Advisor

Academic Practice Advisor

UCAS for Medicine and Dentistry

Study Skills Reps Initiative

Research Supervision:

Undergraduate, MRes, MPhil and PhD students. 

Summer placement students.

Research Interests:

My main research interest is in the area of paediatric cancer. Specifically, I am interested in the identification of novel targeted therapies and combination therapies for the treatment of neuroblastoma, as well as the development and use of preclinical models of neuroblastoma. Through my research I have developed successful collaborations with international academic research groups and Pharma.

Funding:

• CCLG & the Little Princess Trust
• Neuroblastoma UK & Niamh’s Next Step
• SPARKs & the Dubois Child Cancer Fund
• Newcastle Healthcare Charity
• FMS travel grant
• NECCRF travel grant
• SPARKs travel grant
• NICR travel grant

• Articles

  • Tucker ER, Jimenez I, Chen L, Bellini A, Gorrini C, Calton E, Gao Q, Che H, Poon E, Jamin Y, Martins Da Costa B, Barker K, Shrestha S, Hutchinson JC, Dhariwal S, Goodman A, Del Nery E, Gestraud P, Bhalshankar J, Iddir Y, Saberi-Ansari E, Saint-Charles A, Geoerger B, Marques Da Costa ME, Pierre-Eugene C, Janoueix-Lerosey I, Decaudin D, Nemati F, Carcaboso AM, Surdez D, Delattre O, George SL, Chesler L, Tweddle DA, Schleiermacher G. Combination Therapies Targeting ALK-aberrant Neuroblastoma in Preclinical Models. Clinical Cancer Research 2023, 29(7), 1317-1331.
  • King D, Southgate HED, Roetschke S, Gravells P, Fields L, Watson JB, Chen L, Chapman D, Harrison D, Yeomanson D, Curtin NJ, Tweddle DA, Bryant HE. Increased replication stress determines ATR inhibitor sensitivity in neuroblastoma cells. Cancers 2021, 13(24), 6215.
  • Merugu S, Chen L, Gavens E, Gabra H, Brougham M, Makin G, Ng A, Murphy D, Gabriel AS, Robinson ML, Wright JH, Burchill SA, Humphreys A, Bown N, Jamieson D, Tweddle DA. Detection of circulating and disseminated neuroblastoma cells using the Imagestream Imaging Flow Cytometer for use as predictive and pharmacodynamic biomarkers. Clinical Cancer Research 2020, 26(1), 122-134.
  • Southgate HED, Chen L, Tweddle DA, Curtin NJ. ATR inhibition potentiates parp inhibitor cytotoxicity in high risk neuroblastoma cell lines by multiple mechanisms. Cancers 2020, 12(5), 1095.
  • Chen L, Pastorino F, Berry P, Bonner J, Kirk C, Wood KM, Thomas HD, Zhao Y, Daga A, Veal GJ, Lunec J, Newell DR, Ponzoni M, Tweddle DA. Preclinical evaluation of the first intravenous small molecule MDM2 antagonist alone and in combination with temozolomide in neuroblastoma. International Journal of Cancer 2019, 144(12), 3146-3159.
  • Chen L, Esfandiari A, Reaves W, Vu A, Hogarty MD, Lunec J, Tweddle DA. Characterisation of the p53 pathway in cell lines established from TH-MYCN transgenic mouse tumours. International Journal of Oncology 2018, 52(3), 967-977.
  • Chen L, Humphreys A, Turnbull L, Bellini A, Schleiermacher G, Salwen H, Cohn SL, Bown N, Tweddle DA. Identification of different ALK mutations in a pair of neuroblastoma cell lines established at diagnosis and relapse. Oncotarget 2016, 7, 87301-87311.
  • Evans L, Chen L, Milazzo G, Gherardi S, Perini G, Willmore E, Newell DR, Tweddle DA. SKP2 is a direct transcriptional target of MYCN and a potential therapeutic target in neuroblastoma. Cancer Letters 2015, 363(1), 37-45.
  • Chen L, Rousseau RF, Middleton SA, Nichols GL, Newell DR, Lunec J, Tweddle DA. Pre-clinical evaluation of the MDM2-p53 antagonist RG7388 alone and in combination with chemotherapy in neuroblastoma. Oncotarget 2015, 6(12), 10207-10221.
  • Chen L, Tweddle DA. Neuroblastoma and the p53 Pathway. Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine 2015, 20, 59-80.
  • Chen L, Zhao Y, Halliday GC, Berry P, Rousseau RF, Middleton SA, Nichols GL, Del Bello F, Piergentili A, Newell DR, Lunec J, Tweddle DA. Structurally diverse MDM2-p53 antagonists act as modulators of MDR-1 function in neuroblastoma. British Journal of Cancer 2014, 111, 716-725.
  • Bell E, Chen L, Viprey VF, Blanchard GB. Meeting report: 3rd Neuroblastoma Research Symposium, Liverpool, 6-7th November, 2013. Pediatric Blood & Cancer 2014, 61(9), 1711-1713.
  • Chen L, Tweddle DA. p53, SKP2, and DKK3 as MYCN Target Genes and Their Potential Therapeutic Significance. Frontiers in Oncology 2012, 2, 173.
  • Chen L, Iraci N, Gherardi S, Gamble LD, Wood KM, Perini G, Lunec J, Tweddle DA. p53 is a direct transcriptional target of MYCN in neuroblastoma. Cancer Research 2010, 70(4), 1377-1388.
  • Chen L, Malcolm AJ, Wood K, Cole M, Variend S, Cullinane C, Pearson ADJ, Lunec J, Tweddle DA. p53 is nuclear and functional in both undifferentiated and differentiated neuroblastoma. Cell Cycle 2007, 6(21), 2685-2696.

• Book Chapter

  • Chen L, Tweddle DA. Neuroblastoma and the p53 pathway . In: Christiansen, H and Christiansen, NM, ed. Progressive Neuroblastoma: Innovation and Novel Therapeutic Strategies. Karger, 2015, pp.59-80.

• Conference Proceedings (inc. Abstracts)

  • Chen L, Pastorino F, Berry P, Bonner J, Wood K, Veal G, Ponzoni M, Lunec J, Newell DR, Tweddle DA. In vivo evaluation of the intravenous MDM2-p53 antagonist RO6839921 alone and in combination with temozolomide in TP53 wild-type orthotopic models of neuroblastoma. In: AACR Annual Meeting 2017. 2017, Washington, DC: American Association for Cancer Research.
  • Wright JH, Humphreys A, Gabriel AS, Bown N, Chen L, Jamieson D, Tweddle DA. Imaging flow-cytometer based detection of ALK and MDM2 amplification in neuroblastoma cell lines. In: 48th Annual Congress of the International Society of Paediatric Oncology (SIOP). 2016, Dublin, Ireland: Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
  • Gabriel AS, Chen L, Evans L, Nakjang S, Bown N, Williamson D, Tweddle DA. Combined Copy Number and Gene Expression Profiling in High Rick Neuroblastoma: A CCLG Pilot Biological Study. In: NCRI 2016. 2016, Liverpool, UK.

• Reviews

  • Southgate HED, Chen L, Curtin NJ, Tweddle DA. Targeting the DNA Damage Response for the Treatment of High Risk Neuroblastoma. Frontiers in Oncology 2020, 10, 371.
  • Bell E, Chen LD, Liu T, Marshall GM, Lunec J, Tweddle DA. MYCN oncoprotein targets and their therapeutic potential. Cancer Letters 2010, 293(2), 144-157.