Research projects

Dr Elena De Vita is motivated by science in all its forms, from designing experiments that try and solve a new question, to coming up with solutions to problems. Most of all, she enjoys the conversations about her work that she has with her research colleagues. Outside of the lab, Dr De Vita loves singing pop and jazz music, with a particular inclination for Regina Spektor, and is learning Japanese in her free time.

Breast tumours can communicate with other organs around the body and make them more receptive to hosting new tumours as the cancer spreads. They do this by sending tiny parcels of genetic information, proteins and fats, called exosomes, which can travel between cells. The exosomes sent by breast tumours make things easier for cancer cells to seed a new tumour by altering the immune response in the target organ.

Professor Tate and his team recently found that mice lacking a protein called Rab27 were less likely to have breast cancer spread to other organs. For the first time, Professor Tate and his team found a way to block Rab27 with drugs and believe this has potential as a new treatment to stop breast cancer spreading.

Dr De Vita now aims to develop these new drugs further, and will test how well they can target Rab27 and block it in cells in the lab. The team hope this will reveal important new insights into the role of Rab27 in the spread of breast cancer, and lay the groundwork for future trials blocking Rab27.