Janine Erler - Profile
Dr Janine Erler is leader of the hypoxia and metastasis team within The Institute of Cancer Research’s Cell and Molecular Biology Section. Her team is trying to understand the factors that influence cancer spread within the body, a process called metastasis. They are looking particularly at the role of the low-oxygen environment, known as hypoxia, found in all solid tumours – all cancers other than blood cancers.
Dr Erler’s significant recent research includes the identification of the LOX enzyme as a key player in enabling the spread of cancer. She hopes the finding will ultimately lead to new treatments that prevent metastasis by interrupting the action of the enzyme. Metastasis is responsible for 90 per cent of cancer-related deaths.
Dr Erler began researching hypoxia and metastasis and the LOX enzyme during four years of post-doctoral research at Stanford University in the United States, after completing a PhD in molecular pharmacology at the University of Manchester.
She was attracted to the ICR for its collaborative environment, reputation and focus on research that improves the lives of patients.
“It’s also good that we can take research from discovery to clinical trial within the same organisation,” she said.
She hopes to improve understanding of the mechanism of cancer metastasis by looking at which signals are activated during cancer progression. This will help to identify other key enzymes and proteins that play a part. “My goal is to better understand what signals cancer needs to spread in order to develop more effective treatment strategies,” she said.
When she isn’t working at the ICR’s London laboratories, Dr Erler prefers relaxed pursuits including yoga and meditation, and running and hiking in nature.
