Professor Claire Lewis

Professor of Molecular & Cellular Pathology
Head, Academic Unit of Inflammation & Tumour Targeting
Director of Research, Department of Oncology

Department of Oncology
Floor E, University of Sheffield Medical School
Beech Hill Road
Sheffield
S10 2RX
UK

Tel: +44 (0)114 271 2903
Fax: +44 (0)114 271 1711
Email: claire.lewis@sheffield.ac.uk

Secretary: Mrs Paula James
Tel: +44 (0)114 271 2510
Fax: +44 (0)114 271 3314
Email: p.a.james@sheffield.ac.uk

Biography

After completing my DPhil (PhD) in the Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics in Oxford in 1986, I held two postdoctoral positions and a Research Lectureship in the Medical School in Oxford before joining the University of Sheffield Medical School in 1996. I currently hold a Personal Chair in Molecular & Cellular Pathology and head a team of pre and postdoctoral scientists in the Academic Unit of Inflammation and Tumour Targeting. I was awarded a DSc by Oxford University in 2006 for my contribution to the field of tumour inflammation research.

Research Interests

Our research is focused mainly on the role of inflammatory cells called macrophages in tumour progression and tumour responses to conventional anti-cancer treatments like chemotherapy and irradiation. We have also developed ways of using these cells to target therapeutic genes and viruses to tumours. Our work was reported in the national press http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-20795977, and is mainly funded by grants from Cancer Research UK.

Teaching Interests

Acute and chronic inflammation; angiogenesis in human diseases; cancer.

Professional Activities

Journals:

• Member elect of the Editorial Board, Cancer Research.
• Member of the Editorial Board, Blood.
• Member of the Editorial Board, OncoImmunology.
• Member of the Editorial Board, International Journal of Cancer.
• Associate Editor, International Journal of Experimental Pathology.

Grant Awarding Bodies:

• Member, Senior Investigator Awards Committee, The Wellcome Trust, (2013).
• Member, Scientific Advisory Board, Cancer Section of EU Framework 7 (2007 - current).
• Member, International Science Evaluation Panel (for biology, medicine and health), The Research Council,  Norway (2011).
• Member, AACR Basic Cancer Research Grants Scientific Review Committee (2010).
• Chair, BBSRC Review Panel in Interdisciplinary Research (2005).
• MRC College of Experts - Molecular and Cellular Medicine Board, (2004-current).
• EPSRC Peer Review College (2006-2009).
• Member, Scientific Advisory Board, Breast Cancer Campaign (1999-2002).

Key Publications (recent)

1. De Palma M and Lewis CE. (2013). Macrophage regulation of tumor responses to anticancer therapies. Cancer Cell 23:277-86.
2. Muthana M, Rodrigues SR, Chen Y-Y, Welford A, Hughes R, Tazzyman S, Essand M, Morrow F and Lewis CE. (2012).  Macrophage Delivery of an Oncolytic Virus Abolishes Tumor Regrowth and Metastasis After Chemotherapy or Irradiation.  Cancer Res. 73: 1-5
3. De Palma M and Lewis CE. (2011). Macrophages limit chemotherapy. Nature 472: 303-304
4. Welford AF, Biziato D, Coffelt SB, Nucera S, Fisher M, Pucci F, Di Serio C, Naldini L, De Palma M, Tozer GM and Lewis CE. (2011). TIE2-Expressing Macrophages Limit the Therapeutic Efficacy of the Vascular Disrupting Agent, Combretastatin A4 Phosphate. J. Clin. Invest. 121: 1969-73
5. Lewis CE and Ferrara N. (2011). Multiple Effects of Angiopoietin-2 Blockade on Tumors. Cancer Cell. 19: 431-3.
6. Owen MR, Stamper IJ, Muthana M, Richardson GW, Dobson J, Lewis CE, Byrne HM. (2011). Mathematical modelling predicts synergistic anti-tumor effects of combining a macrophage-based, hypoxia-targeted, gene therapy with chemotherapy. Cancer Res. 71: 2826-37
7. Tazzyman S, Barry ST, Ashton S, Wood P, Blakey D, Lewis CE, Murdoch C. (2011). Inhibition of neutrophil infiltration into A549 lung tumors in vitro and in vivo using a CXCR2-specific antagonist is associated with reduced tumor growth. Int J Cancer. Feb 15. doi:10.1002/ijc.25987. [Epub ahead of print].
8. Muthana M, Giannoudis A, Scott SD, Fang H-Y, Coffelt SB, Morrow FJ, Murdoch M, Burton JL, Cross N, Burke B, Mistry R, Hamdy FC, Brown NJ, Georgopoulos L, Hoskin P, Essand M, Lewis CE* & Maitland NJ.* (2011). Use of Macrophages to Target Therapeutic Adenovirus to Human Prostate Tumors. Cancer Res. 71:1805-15. * [joint senior authors].
9. Coffelt SB, Chen YY, Muthana M, Welford AF, Tal AO, Scholz A, Plate KH, Reiss Y Murdoch C, De Palma M and Lewis CE. (2011). Angiopoietin-2 stimulates Tie2-expressing monocytes to suppress T cell activation and promote regulatory T cell expansion. J. Immunol. 186:4183-90.
10. Coffelt SB, Tal OA, Scholz A, De Palma M, Patel S, Urbich C, Biswas SK, Murdoch C, Plate K, Reiss Y and Lewis CE. (2010). Angiopoietin-2 regulates gene expression in Tie2-expressing monocytes and augments their inherent pro-angiogenic functions. Cancer Res. 70:5270-80.
11. Coffelt SB, Lewis CE, Naldini L, Brown JM, Ferrara N and De Palma M. (2010). Elusive identities and overlapping phenotypes of pro-angiogenic myeloid cells in tumors. Am. J. Pathol. 176:1564-76.
12. Fang H-Y, Hughes R, Murdoch C, Coffelt S, Biswas SK, Harris AL, Johnson RS, Imityaz HZ, Simon MC, Fredlund E, Greten R, Rius J and Lewis CE. (2009). Hypoxia inducible factors 1 and 2 are important transcriptional effectors in primary macrophages experiencing hypoxia. Blood. 114:844-59.
13. Hagemann T, Biswas SK, Lawrence T, Sica A and Lewis CE. (2009). Regulation of macrophage function in tumors: the multifaceted role of NF-kB. Blood. 113:3139-46.
14. Murdoch C, Muthana M, Coffelt S and Lewis CE. (2008). The Role of Myeloid Cells in the Promotion of Tumour Angiogenesis. Nature Reviews Cancer. 8:618-31.
15. Muthana M, Scott SD, Farrow N, Morrow F, Murdoch C, Grubb S, Brown NJ, Dobson J & Lewis CE. (2008). A novel magnetic approach to enhance the efficacy of cell-based gene therapies. Gene Therapy. 15:902-10.

Last updated: 31 May 2013