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Group: Nutrition and Cancer, School of Food Science and Nutrition, Faculty of Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK

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Current group members: James L Thorne; from left to right Ms Emtenan Jefrei (PGR), Ms Mengfan Xu (PGR), Ms Alex Rzeszutek (PGR), Hang Wu (PDRA), Ms Ibtihal Barnawi (PGR).

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Contact: James L Thorne (j.l.thorne@leeds.ac.uk)
 

Research Overview: Our research is focused on discovering the molecular mechanisms of action of oxysterols and phytosterols in cancer cells with particular emphasis on how they interact with cell membranes and control activity of the liver x receptors alpha and beta (LXRA/B). LXR senses and responds to oxysterols in a wide variety of tissues and links cholesterol homeostasis with the cell’s metabolic, proliferative, and migratory potential. Our work in this field has led to understanding of how oxysterols, via LXR, can influence the hallmarks of cancer and alter the response of tumour cells to therapy and how regulation of LXR is also linked to cancer patient’s prognosis. Phytosterols and phytostanols interfere with oxysterol signalling and their role in human health has historically been linked to their ability to lower circulating LDL-C, but they are also linked to prevention of several types of cancer. We often have openings for PhD students to join us, for information on opportunities in this group, please visit https://environment.leeds.ac.uk/food-nutrition/staff/7156/dr-james-l-thorne.

 

Why are you an ENOR member: I came to the first ENOR meeting when I made a laboratory discovery that 27-hydroxycholesterol and GW3965 could induce expression of a transmembrane drug efflux pump in an aggressive subtype of breast cancer. I presented these findings as a poster (winning a prize!) at the 2015 meeting in Bonn and attended hoping to meet a chemist who would be interested in measuring oxysterols and phytosterols in the tumours of a cohort of breast cancer patients we have been working on. I have since met many fascinating scientists who share my passion of oxysterol research and continue to be an ENOR member because of the supportive atmosphere and engaging research at the meetings and in the collaborations that have followed.
 
ENOR related publications: 

  1. Phytosterol and phytostanol-mediated epigenetic changes in cancer and other non-communicable diseases: a systematic review (2023). Jefrei E, Xu M, Moore JB, Thorne JL*.  Br J Nutr. Nov 13:1-9. doi: 10.1017/S0007114523002532. PMID: 37955052.

  2. Mass Spectrometry Reveals that Oxysterols are Secreted from Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Induced Organoids (2023). Kømurcua, KS, Wilhelmsenb I, Thorne JL, Johannes S, Krauss K, Haakon Wilson SR, Aizenshtadt A, and Røberg-Larsen H*. J Steroid Biochem Mol Biol. Sep;232:106355. doi: 10.1016/j.jsbmb.2023.106355.

  3. Phytosterols and phytostanols and the hallmarks of cancer: a systematic review and meta-analysis of whole organism models (2022). Cioccoloni G, Soteriou C, Websdale A, Wallis L, Zulyniak MA, and Thorne JL*. Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition. doi: 10.1080/10408398.2020.1835820

  4. Associations between liver X receptor polymorphisms and blood lipids: a systematic review and meta-analysis (2022). Zhang H, Lianto P, Li W, Xu W, Moore JB, Thorne JL* Steroids.

  5. Characterization and prognostic value of LXR splice variants in triple-negative breast cancer (2021). P Lianto, SA Hutchinson, JB Moore, TA Hughes, JL Thorne*. iScience 24 (10), 103212

  6. Liver x receptor alpha drives chemoresistance in response to side-chain hydroxycholesterols in triple negative breast cancer (2021). Hutchinson SA€, Websdale A€, Cioccoloni G, Røberg-Larsen H, Lianto P, Kim B, Rose A, Soteriou C, Wastall LM, Williams BJ, Henn MA, Chen JJ, Ma L, Moore JB, Nelson E, Hughes TA* and Thorne JL*. Oncogene doi.org/10.1038/s41388-021-01720-w

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