During carcinogenesis, cancer cells develop mechanisms to achieve survival and spreading of the disease. Among those processes, uncontrolled proliferation, coupled with migration, invasion and adhesion, allow formation of the primary tumour and metastasis. In addition, abnormal response of some cancer cells to apoptotic stimuli can lead to resistance to chemotherapeutic agents.

The aim of the Phenotypic Analysis Group is to analyse the effect of down-regulation of specific validated alternative splicing events on the phenotype of ovarian and breast cancer cell lines. The assignment of phenotypes following isoform specific inhibition is achieved by high-throughput cell based assays developed on an automated BD Pathway BioImager system. Using fluorescent dyes and markers, we are able to determine changes in the phenotypes of cell lines due to specific alternative isoform inhibition. Our assays include cell viability, proliferation, migration, invasion, adhesion, response to apoptotic stimuli and DNA damage recognition. Those characteristics of cancer cells are crucial for cancer progression and maintenance and targeting their functions is a promising way for cancer treatment development.