Introduction

When we began our Kidscan placement at The University of Salford under the supervision of Dr Matthew Jones, we were eager to gain hands-on experience in cancer research. Over the course of our time there, we not only developed our practical and analytical skills but we also had the chance to contribute to a project significant enough to present on a wider stage. This led to us taking part in the European Association for Cancer Research (EACR) conference. We wrote and submitted an abstract and were lucky enough to be accepted and given the chance to present our work to researchers from across the world.

Background

Cancer continues to be a leading cause of death worldwide, despite notable progress in diagnosis and treatment. Chemotherapy is used to manage and treat cancer, but its effectiveness is frequently undermined by drug resistance and severe side effects which can cause patients to live a low quality of life. A potential alternative to conventional chemotherapy can be the use of phytochemicals, these are bioactive compounds derived from plants. These natural agents exhibit anticancer properties such as inducing apoptosis, inhibiting tumour growth and regulating key signalling pathways alongside this, phytochemicals have shown to have reduced toxicity when compared to synthetic drugs. When using phytochemicals in combination therapies it offers a safer therapeutic profile and even the possibility of synergistic effects.

In the Jones lab, the research focus is on Medulloblastoma which is the most common, fast-growing paediatric malignant brain tumour that develops in the cerebellum. Medulloblastoma is most commonly found in males between the ages of 3 and 8 years old. Throughout the lab specifically two molecular subgroups are used which are HD-MB-03, which represents Group 3 Medulloblastoma, and DAOY, which represents Sonic Hedgehog (SHH) Medulloblastoma. Current treatments for Medulloblastoma, include chemotherapy and radiotherapy which can be effective but are associated with severe long-term side effects such as growth delays, hormone imbalances and an increased risk of secondary cancers. Due to these challenges, the aims are to identify safer and more effective treatment therapies. One promising approach is the exploration of phytochemicals which are natural compounds with anticancer properties. In particular, the lab investigates Tripterygium wilfordii , a traditional Chinese medicinal plant, for its potential as a therapeutic agent. Bioactive compounds extracted from Tripterygium wilfordii that are used within the lab are Pristimerin, Celastrol, Demethylzeylesteral, Triptonide and Triptolide.

Julia’s research

My contribution to the placement initially involved working with both DAOY and HD-MB-03 cell lines, before shifting my main focus to DAOY to investigate cellular migratory mechanisms. I was responsible for studying two compounds derived from Tripterygium wilfordii , Celastrol and Demethylzeylasteral, and exploring their potential as treatments for Medulloblastoma. To achieve this, I conducted a series of experiments, including MTT assays, Cell fate profiling, Flow cytometry with Annexin V and Propidium iodide, Single-cell migration assays, Scratch assays, and Transwell assays.

My duty stretched to analyse cellular migration mechanisms of the compounds Celastrol and Demethylzeylasteral on the DAOY Medulloblastoma cell line. Single cell migration was performed to determine speed and distance of migration. Bulk cell migration (scratch assay) creates an artificial wound to a monolayer of Medulloblastoma cells, where healing speed and complete time lapse of migration are determined. As concentration increases, the wound is expected to stay wider and close slower as drug has interfered with cellular migration. Lastly, I performed Transwell assays which used a chemoattractant, foetal bovine serum (FBS), where cells migrated through a porous membrane and counted for. Fewer cells are expected to migrate when in treatment.

Marriam’s research

During my placement, my research initially involved working with both DAOY and HD-MB-03 cell lines, before shifting my main focus to HD-MB-03 to investigate the type of cell death being triggered. I examined two compounds derived from Tripterygium wilfordii , Pristimerin and Triptonide, to explore their potential as treatments for Medulloblastoma. To carry out this investigation, I performed a range of experiments including MTT assays, Cell fate profiling, Flow cytometry with Annexin V and Propidium iodide, Rhodamine 123 assays, and Compound washout/recovery proliferation assays.

My main focus was to investigate the type of cell death triggered by Pristimerin and Triptonide in HD-MB-03 cells. To assess this, a Rhodamine 123 assay was performed to analyse mitochondrial membrane potential following drug exposure and to measure the resulting fluorescence intensity. In addition, a compound washout/recovery proliferation assay was carried out to determine whether HD-MB-03 cells could recover and resume growth after mitochondrial damage caused by the drugs.

Combined research

We first started by investigating the cytotoxicity of our compounds to seek interference in cell viability through MTT assays. Statistical analysis of the assay allowed EC50 to be obtained, which determines the optimum drug concentration required to kill 50% of cells. A lower EC50 is desirable as lower concentrations of the drug will need to be administered.

Further experimentation followed using EC50 drug concentrations and focused on understanding the cellular death mechanisms of the compounds. Cell fate profiling allowed visualisation of whether cells die in interphase or mitosis and the time point in which apoptosis occurs. Flow cytometry using the Fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS) machine was used to further understand whether early or late-stage apoptosis occurs and if any necrosis.

Our experience applying and presenting at EACR Conference

Our supervisor, Dr Matthew Jones, introduced us to the idea of attending and presenting our research at the European Association for Cancer Research (EACR) conference and strongly encouraged us to take on the challenge. The EACR conference is the largest cancer research conference in Europe, held annually in different cities across Europe. In 2025, the conference took place in Lisbon, Portugal, from June 16th to 19th. From the early stages, Dr Jones guided us through the preparation process by motivating us to complete our experiments and gather all the necessary data in time. With his support, we also learned how to structure and write scientific abstracts which formed the basis of our conference applications. This experience not only pushed us to refine our research but also provided valuable insight into effectively communicating our findings to the broader scientific community.

We presented a landscape poster for 90 minutes in an exhibition hall. It was amazing to showcase our research and come across experts in the field. Especially being this new to the field, it was exciting as newcomers to cancer research, as the experience allowed us to gain confidence in explaining our work and answering questions from experienced researchers. During the conference, we also attended research specialist talks including one focused on brain metastasis which links to our research. These sessions provided valuable insight into current trends and advancements in the field and highlighting potential connections and future directions for our work. Overall, the experience was inspiring and helped us appreciate the broader context of our research within the global scientific community.

Skills gained

During our placement we learned many skills that have shaped us personally and professionally. Some of the skills that are important to our research career are laboratory maintenance, as we learnt how to operate a laboratory which is fundamental for research to keep ongoing and ensuring a safe and organised environment is maintained. We also learned how to properly analyse our data, as within a research career analysing data is crucial to be able to understand and interpret the data we produce and to be able to pick out any trends. We are also able to use many different laboratory machines and work independently ensuring a smooth and efficient work environment. Due to working in this placement, we were able to develop our problem-solving skills which is essential to thrive in a research career. Alongside this our scientific communication has improved immensely and we are able to correctly format our lab reports and properly present our data.

Personally, both of us have developed a lot of resilience and adaptability as coping with experiments that failed or receiving unexpected results really taught us to always be positive and have the ability to build upon our mistakes.

After attending EACR we both gained profound confidence within ourselves and our work as being able to present our work at such a prestigious conference really helped us to develop a greater understanding of the importance of research.

Lastly, we would like to thank Dr Matthew Jones for always believing in us and supporting us. We would also like to thank Kidscan for funding our placement year as none of this would’ve been possible without the help they provided.