![Helen Pearson](https://profiles-cardiff.imgix.net/attachments/1158?w=200&h=200&auto=format&crop=faces&fit=crop&q=90")
Dr Helen Pearson
Senior Lecturer in Prostate Cancer
School of Biosciences
- Available for postgraduate supervision
Overview
Prostate Cancer Translational Research Laboratory
European Cancer Stem Cell Research Institute, Cardiff University, Department of Biomedicine, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University
Prostate cancer arises from multiple complex cellular processes that remain to be fully understood. Dr Pearson’s research into prostate cancer integrates basic molecular and cellular biology with preclinical trials to advance our understanding of prostate cancer biology, and to translate laboratory studies into improvements in patient care and outcome. To address this, the research undertaken incorporates the development and application of innovative preclinical model systems in collaboration with researchers, clinicians and industry.
Publication
2024
- Al-janabi, H. et al. 2024. Targeting a STING agonist to perivascular macrophages in prostate tumors delays resistance to androgen deprivation therapy. Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer 12(7), article number: e009368. (10.1136/jitc-2024-009368)
- Turnham, D. J. et al. 2024. Development and characterisation of a new patient-derived Xenograft model of AR-negative metastatic asctration-resistant prostate cancer. Cells 13(8), article number: 673. (10.3390/cells13080673)
2023
- Chessa, T. A. et al. 2023. PLEKHS1 drives PI3Ks and remodels pathway homeostasis in PTEN-null prostate. Molecular Cell 83(16), pp. 2991-3009., article number: E13. (10.1016/j.molcel.2023.07.015)
2022
- Owen, J. S., Clayton, A. and Pearson, H. B. 2022. Cancer-associated fibroblast heterogeneity, activation and function: implications for prostate cancer. Biomolecules 13(1), article number: 67. (10.3390/biom13010067)
- Koushyar, S., Meniel, V. S., Phesse, T. J. and Pearson, H. B. 2022. Exploring the Wnt pathway as a therapeutic target for prostate cancer. Biomolecules 12(2), article number: 309. (10.3390/biom12020309)
2020
- Turnham, D. J., Bullock, N., Dass, M. S., Staffurth, J. N. and Pearson, H. B. 2020. The PTEN conundrum: how to target PTEN-deficient prostate cancer. Cells 9(11), article number: 2342. (10.3390/cells9112342)
- Shorning, B. Y., Dass, M. S., Smalley, M. J. and Pearson, H. B. 2020. The PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathway and prostate cancer: at the crossroads of AR, MAPK, and WNT signaling. International Journal of Molecular Sciences 21(12), article number: 4507. (10.3390/ijms21124507)
2019
- Flanagan, D. J. et al. 2019. Frizzled-7 is required for Wnt signaling in gastric tumours with and without Apc mutations. Cancer Research 79(5), pp. 970-981. (10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-18-2095)
2018
- Pearson, H. B. et al. 2018. Identification of Pik3ca mutation as a genetic driver of prostate cancer that cooperates with Pten loss to accelerate progression and castration-resistant growth. Cancer Discovery 8(6), pp. 764-779. (10.1158/2159-8290.CD-17-0867)
2017
- Martin, A. C. B. et al. 2017. [10]-gingerol induces apoptosis and inhibits metastatic dissemination of triple negative breast cancer in vivo. Oncotarget 8(42), pp. 72260-72271. (10.18632/oncotarget.20139)
- Liu, D. S. et al. 2017. Inhibiting the system xC-/glutathione axis selectively targets cancers with mutant-p53 accumulation. Nature Communications 8, article number: 14844. (10.1038/ncomms14844)
2016
- Rebello, R. J. et al. 2016. The dual inhibition of RNA Pol I transcription and PIM kinase as a new therapeutic approach to treat advanced prostate cancer. Clinical Cancer Research 22(22), pp. 5539-5552. (10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-16-0124)
- Denoyer, D. et al. 2016. Copper as a target for prostate cancer therapeutics: copper-ionophore pharmacology and altering systemic copper distribution. Oncotarget 7(24), pp. 37064-37080. (10.18632/oncotarget.9245)
2015
- Wölwer, C. B. et al. 2015. A chemical screening approach to identify novel key mediators of erythroid enucleation. PLoS ONE 10(11), article number: e0142655. (10.1371/journal.pone.0142655)
- Pearson, H. B. et al. 2015. The polarity protein Scrib mediates epidermal development and exerts a tumor suppressive function during skin carcinogenesis. Molecular Cancer 14, article number: 169. (10.1186/s12943-015-0440-z)
- Sampurno, S., Cross, R., Pearson, H., Kaur, P., Malaterre, J. and Ramsay, R. G. 2015. Myb via TGFβ is required for collagen type 1 production and skin integrity. Growth Factors 33(2), pp. 102-112. (10.3109/08977194.2015.1016222)
- Johnstone, C. N. et al. 2015. Functional and molecular characterisation of EO771.LMB tumours, a new C57BL/6-mouse-derived model of spontaneously metastatic mammary cancer. Disease Models and Mechanisms 8(3), pp. 237-251. (10.1242/dmm.017830)
- Takizawa, I. et al. 2015. Estrogen receptor alpha drives proliferation in PTEN-deficient prostate carcinoma by stimulating survival signaling, MYC expression and altering glucose sensitivity. Oncotarget 6(2), pp. 604-616. (10.18632/oncotarget.2820)
2014
- Elsum, I. A. et al. 2014. Scrib heterozygosity predisposes to lung cancer and cooperates with KRas hyperactivation to accelerate lung cancer progression in vivo. Oncogene 33(48), pp. 5523-5533. (10.1038/onc.2013.498)
- Gödde, N. J., Pearson, H. B., Smith, L. K. and Humbert, P. O. 2014. Dissecting the role of polarity regulators in cancer through the use of mouse models. Experimental Cell Research 328(2), pp. 249-257. (10.1016/j.yexcr.2014.08.036)
- DiTommaso, T., Cottle, D. L., Pearson, H. B., Schlüter, H., Kaur, P., Humbert, P. O. and Smyth, I. M. 2014. Keratin 76 is required for tight junction function and maintenance of the skin barrier. PLoS Genetics 10(10), article number: e1004706. (10.1371/journal.pgen.1004706)
- Phesse, T. J. et al. 2014. Partial inhibition of gp130-Jak-Stat3 signaling prevents Wnt–β-catenin–mediated intestinal tumor growth and regeneration. Science Signaling 7(345), article number: ra92. (10.1126/scisignal.2005411)
- Phesse, T. J. et al. 2014. Endogenous c-Myc is essential for p53-induced apoptosis in response to DNA damage in vivo. Cell Death and Differentiation 21(6), pp. 956-966. (10.1038/cdd.2014.15)
- Godde, N. J. et al. 2014. Scribble modulates the MAPK/Fra1 pathway to disrupt luminal and ductal integrity and suppress tumour formation in the mammary gland. PLoS Genetics 10(5), article number: e1004323. (10.1371/journal.pgen.1004323)
2013
- Cater, M. A. et al. 2013. Increasing intracellular bioavailable copper selectively targets prostate cancer cells. ACS Chemical Biology 8(7), pp. 1621-1631. (10.1021/cb400198p)
- Pearson, H. B. 2013. Modelling metastasis in vivo. In: Madame Curie Bioscience Database. Georgetown TX: Landes Bioscience
- Pouliot, N., Pearson, H. and Burrows, A. 2013. Investigating metastasis using in vitro platforms. In: Madame Curie Bioscience Database. Georgetown TX: Landes Bioscience
2011
- Pearson, H. B. et al. 2011. SCRIB expression is deregulated in human prostate cancer, and its deficiency in mice promotes prostate neoplasia. The Journal of Clinical Investigation 121(11), pp. 4257-4267. (10.1172/JCI58509)
2009
- Shorning, B. et al. 2009. Lkb1 deficiency alters goblet and paneth cell differentiation in the small intestine. PLoS ONE 4(1), article number: e4264. (10.1371/journal.pone.0004264)
- Pearson, H. B., Phesse, T. and Clarke, A. R. 2009. K-ras and Wnt signaling synergize to accelerate prostate tumorigenesis in the mouse. Cancer Research 69(1), pp. 94-101., article number: http://dx.doi.org/10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-08-2895. (10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-08-2895)
2008
- Pearson, H. B., McCarthy, A., Collins, C. M., Ashworth, A. and Clarke, A. R. 2008. Lkb1 defiency causes prostate neoplasia in the mouse. Cancer Research 68(7), pp. 2223-2232. (10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-07-5169)
- Pearson, H. B. 2008. Development and characterisation of novel mouse models of human prostate cancer. PhD Thesis, Cardiff University.
Articles
- Al-janabi, H. et al. 2024. Targeting a STING agonist to perivascular macrophages in prostate tumors delays resistance to androgen deprivation therapy. Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer 12(7), article number: e009368. (10.1136/jitc-2024-009368)
- Turnham, D. J. et al. 2024. Development and characterisation of a new patient-derived Xenograft model of AR-negative metastatic asctration-resistant prostate cancer. Cells 13(8), article number: 673. (10.3390/cells13080673)
- Chessa, T. A. et al. 2023. PLEKHS1 drives PI3Ks and remodels pathway homeostasis in PTEN-null prostate. Molecular Cell 83(16), pp. 2991-3009., article number: E13. (10.1016/j.molcel.2023.07.015)
- Owen, J. S., Clayton, A. and Pearson, H. B. 2022. Cancer-associated fibroblast heterogeneity, activation and function: implications for prostate cancer. Biomolecules 13(1), article number: 67. (10.3390/biom13010067)
- Koushyar, S., Meniel, V. S., Phesse, T. J. and Pearson, H. B. 2022. Exploring the Wnt pathway as a therapeutic target for prostate cancer. Biomolecules 12(2), article number: 309. (10.3390/biom12020309)
- Turnham, D. J., Bullock, N., Dass, M. S., Staffurth, J. N. and Pearson, H. B. 2020. The PTEN conundrum: how to target PTEN-deficient prostate cancer. Cells 9(11), article number: 2342. (10.3390/cells9112342)
- Shorning, B. Y., Dass, M. S., Smalley, M. J. and Pearson, H. B. 2020. The PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathway and prostate cancer: at the crossroads of AR, MAPK, and WNT signaling. International Journal of Molecular Sciences 21(12), article number: 4507. (10.3390/ijms21124507)
- Flanagan, D. J. et al. 2019. Frizzled-7 is required for Wnt signaling in gastric tumours with and without Apc mutations. Cancer Research 79(5), pp. 970-981. (10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-18-2095)
- Pearson, H. B. et al. 2018. Identification of Pik3ca mutation as a genetic driver of prostate cancer that cooperates with Pten loss to accelerate progression and castration-resistant growth. Cancer Discovery 8(6), pp. 764-779. (10.1158/2159-8290.CD-17-0867)
- Martin, A. C. B. et al. 2017. [10]-gingerol induces apoptosis and inhibits metastatic dissemination of triple negative breast cancer in vivo. Oncotarget 8(42), pp. 72260-72271. (10.18632/oncotarget.20139)
- Liu, D. S. et al. 2017. Inhibiting the system xC-/glutathione axis selectively targets cancers with mutant-p53 accumulation. Nature Communications 8, article number: 14844. (10.1038/ncomms14844)
- Rebello, R. J. et al. 2016. The dual inhibition of RNA Pol I transcription and PIM kinase as a new therapeutic approach to treat advanced prostate cancer. Clinical Cancer Research 22(22), pp. 5539-5552. (10.1158/1078-0432.CCR-16-0124)
- Denoyer, D. et al. 2016. Copper as a target for prostate cancer therapeutics: copper-ionophore pharmacology and altering systemic copper distribution. Oncotarget 7(24), pp. 37064-37080. (10.18632/oncotarget.9245)
- Wölwer, C. B. et al. 2015. A chemical screening approach to identify novel key mediators of erythroid enucleation. PLoS ONE 10(11), article number: e0142655. (10.1371/journal.pone.0142655)
- Pearson, H. B. et al. 2015. The polarity protein Scrib mediates epidermal development and exerts a tumor suppressive function during skin carcinogenesis. Molecular Cancer 14, article number: 169. (10.1186/s12943-015-0440-z)
- Sampurno, S., Cross, R., Pearson, H., Kaur, P., Malaterre, J. and Ramsay, R. G. 2015. Myb via TGFβ is required for collagen type 1 production and skin integrity. Growth Factors 33(2), pp. 102-112. (10.3109/08977194.2015.1016222)
- Johnstone, C. N. et al. 2015. Functional and molecular characterisation of EO771.LMB tumours, a new C57BL/6-mouse-derived model of spontaneously metastatic mammary cancer. Disease Models and Mechanisms 8(3), pp. 237-251. (10.1242/dmm.017830)
- Takizawa, I. et al. 2015. Estrogen receptor alpha drives proliferation in PTEN-deficient prostate carcinoma by stimulating survival signaling, MYC expression and altering glucose sensitivity. Oncotarget 6(2), pp. 604-616. (10.18632/oncotarget.2820)
- Elsum, I. A. et al. 2014. Scrib heterozygosity predisposes to lung cancer and cooperates with KRas hyperactivation to accelerate lung cancer progression in vivo. Oncogene 33(48), pp. 5523-5533. (10.1038/onc.2013.498)
- Gödde, N. J., Pearson, H. B., Smith, L. K. and Humbert, P. O. 2014. Dissecting the role of polarity regulators in cancer through the use of mouse models. Experimental Cell Research 328(2), pp. 249-257. (10.1016/j.yexcr.2014.08.036)
- DiTommaso, T., Cottle, D. L., Pearson, H. B., Schlüter, H., Kaur, P., Humbert, P. O. and Smyth, I. M. 2014. Keratin 76 is required for tight junction function and maintenance of the skin barrier. PLoS Genetics 10(10), article number: e1004706. (10.1371/journal.pgen.1004706)
- Phesse, T. J. et al. 2014. Partial inhibition of gp130-Jak-Stat3 signaling prevents Wnt–β-catenin–mediated intestinal tumor growth and regeneration. Science Signaling 7(345), article number: ra92. (10.1126/scisignal.2005411)
- Phesse, T. J. et al. 2014. Endogenous c-Myc is essential for p53-induced apoptosis in response to DNA damage in vivo. Cell Death and Differentiation 21(6), pp. 956-966. (10.1038/cdd.2014.15)
- Godde, N. J. et al. 2014. Scribble modulates the MAPK/Fra1 pathway to disrupt luminal and ductal integrity and suppress tumour formation in the mammary gland. PLoS Genetics 10(5), article number: e1004323. (10.1371/journal.pgen.1004323)
- Cater, M. A. et al. 2013. Increasing intracellular bioavailable copper selectively targets prostate cancer cells. ACS Chemical Biology 8(7), pp. 1621-1631. (10.1021/cb400198p)
- Pearson, H. B. et al. 2011. SCRIB expression is deregulated in human prostate cancer, and its deficiency in mice promotes prostate neoplasia. The Journal of Clinical Investigation 121(11), pp. 4257-4267. (10.1172/JCI58509)
- Shorning, B. et al. 2009. Lkb1 deficiency alters goblet and paneth cell differentiation in the small intestine. PLoS ONE 4(1), article number: e4264. (10.1371/journal.pone.0004264)
- Pearson, H. B., Phesse, T. and Clarke, A. R. 2009. K-ras and Wnt signaling synergize to accelerate prostate tumorigenesis in the mouse. Cancer Research 69(1), pp. 94-101., article number: http://dx.doi.org/10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-08-2895. (10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-08-2895)
- Pearson, H. B., McCarthy, A., Collins, C. M., Ashworth, A. and Clarke, A. R. 2008. Lkb1 defiency causes prostate neoplasia in the mouse. Cancer Research 68(7), pp. 2223-2232. (10.1158/0008-5472.CAN-07-5169)
Book sections
- Pearson, H. B. 2013. Modelling metastasis in vivo. In: Madame Curie Bioscience Database. Georgetown TX: Landes Bioscience
- Pouliot, N., Pearson, H. and Burrows, A. 2013. Investigating metastasis using in vitro platforms. In: Madame Curie Bioscience Database. Georgetown TX: Landes Bioscience
Thesis
- Pearson, H. B. 2008. Development and characterisation of novel mouse models of human prostate cancer. PhD Thesis, Cardiff University.
Research
Focus
My research into prostate cancer integrates basic cancer biology, biomarker discovery and the preclinical assessment of novel therapeutic approaches with the ultimate goal to improve upon the current standard of patient care. The research undertaken employs novel model systems to investigate genetic drivers of prostate cancer initiation and progression, and the preclinical development of innovative therapeutic strategies for prostate cancer.
Current projects and/or themes
- Determining how the non-canonical WNT pathway contributes to prostate cancer
- Delineating molecular mechanisms of resistance to androgen-deprivation therapy
- Enhancing the therapeutic efficacy of PARP inhibition for the treatment of prostate cancer
- Development of ex-vivo models for prostate cancer
- Development of PDX models of prostate cancer
- Prostate cancer stem cells and the tumor microenvironment
- Exploring how PI3K signaling contributes to prostate cancer
- Targeting Wnt signaling to treat metastatic prostate cancer
Current grant support
- Cancer Research UK (2020 - 2026)
- Prostate Cancer Research (2021 - 2024)
- Cardiff University PhD scholarship (2021 - 2024)
- Innovation for all - kickstarter award (2021 - 2022)
Collaborators
- Prof Wayne Phillips (Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Australia)
- Prof Owen Sansom (CRUK Beatson Institute, Glasgow, UK)
- Prof John Staffurth (Rutherford Cancer Centre South Wales, UK)
- Prof Gail Risbridger (Monash University, Melbourne, Australia)
- Prof Johann de Bono (ICR, London, UK)
- Prof Norman Maitland (York University, York, UK)
Research Staff
- Dr Daniel Turnham
- Miss Sarah Martin
- Miss Anna Richards
- Dr Valerie Meniel
- Dr Guisy Tornillo
Postgraduate Students
- Miss Manisha Dass – KESS2/Tenovus Cancer Care PhD student
- Mr Nicholas Bullock – Wales Clinical Academic Track (WCAT) fellow (PhD Student)
- Miss Cerys Jones - Integrated Masters student
- Miss Jasmine Owen - Cardiff University PhD studentship
Vacancies
Please enquire about our current posts:
- PhD studentships available
- Clinical PhD student positions available
Teaching
Undergraduate teaching
BI3352: Cancer: Molecular mechanisms, diagnostics and therapeutics (module coordinator/examiner for assessed coursework 1/small group teaching sessions)
Module co-coordinator/lecturer: Cancer research: from concepts to experimental models to translational research (Year 2, week long practical).
BI2233: Developmental and stem cell biology, Lecturer (workshops)
- BI3001: Principle supervisor for final year honours project students
Post-graduate teaching
- BI4001: Integrated Masters student projects
- Cancer Biology and Therapeutics MSc student projects
- PhD students
Biography
I undertook my PhD at Cardiff University, where I developed several new models of prostate cancer with Prof Alan Clarke, and moved to Australia to commence my post-doctoral training at the Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre in Australia. In 2012, I became an honorary fellow of Melbourne University and the inaugural Richard Pratt Foundation Fellow for prostate cancer research. In 2016, I returned to Cardiff University as a Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions COFUND research fellow and was awarded a Cancer Research UK Career Development Fellowship in 2020, enabling me to build my research group investigating the molecular mechanisms that underpin prostate cancer growth and therapeutic resistance. This knowledge is applied to the development of novel and more effective biomarkers and therapeutic approaches for prostate cancer.
Honours and awards
- 2020 - 2026: CRUK Career Development Fellowship
- 2020: NCRI Bursary Prize
- 2016 – 2020: Marie Slodowska Curie Actions/Horizon2020/Ser Cymru II Fellowship
- 2013 – 2014: Richard Pratt Foundation Prostate Cancer Research Fellowship/Victorian Cancer Agency
Professional memberships
2015 The Australian Society for Stem Cell Research (ASSCR)
2014 Australian and New Zealand Urogenital and Prostate (ANZUP) clinical trials group
2010 Australian and Canadian Prostate Cancer Research Alliance (AC-PCRA)
2005 European Association for Cancer Research (EACR)
2005 British Association for Cancer Research (BACR)
2004 Royal Society of Biology (RSB)
Academic positions
2020 - present: Senior Research Fellow (PI, Group Leader), European Cancer Stem Cell Research Centre, Cardiff University, Wales, UK
------------------
2016 – 2020: Research Fellow, European Cancer Stem Cell Research Centre, Cardiff University, Wales, UK
2012 – 2016: Senior Research Officer, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Australia
2012 – 2016: Honorary Fellow, University of Melbourne, The Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Oncology, Melbourne, Australia
2008 – 2012: Junior Research Officer, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne, Australia
Committees and reviewing
- Journal Guest Editor, Biomolecules
- Journal Editor, British Journal of Cancer
- Journal Reviewer, Cancer Discovery
- Journal Reviewer, Nature Communications
- Journal Reviewer, Disease Models and Mechanisms
- Journal Reviewer, Cell Death and Disease
- Journal Reviewer, Oncogene
- Journal Reviewer, Molecular Cancer
Supervisions
Supervision
I am currently available to supervise post-graduate research students (PhD, MRes, MSc).
I am interested in supervising PhD students in the areas of:
- Prostate cancer molecular biology
- Preclinical trials for prostate cancer
- Therapeutic resistance in prostate cancer
- Metastasis
Engagement
Public Engagement
- STEM ambassador since 2018
- Prostate Cancer Multidisciplinary Research Group (co-chair)
- Cardiff Prostate Cancer Volunteer Support Group (invited speaker)
- Prostate Cancer Research workshop (invited speaker)
