Research areas
My research has focussed on a number of areas in cancer research. These include:
Interdisciplinary research with the School of Physics & Astronomy (biophotonics collaboration). We have exploited the use of novel laser beams to introduce genes into individual cells, to move cells and thus sort them in a laser beam and finally to use a laser beam to identify normal and cancer cells using their molecular signature.
An interest in how cells regulate their proliferation and how this might change in cancer. In particular I have studied the blood forming tissues and defined how stem cells, the precursor cells for blood cells, are regulated and how this might change in leukaemia.
Investigations on cancer predisposition in breast and prostate cancer. In collaboration with Dr. Peter Bryant and clinical colleagues in Ninewells Hospital, we have been trying to find out why specific patients develop cancer. This involves growing blood samples in the laboratory and measuring how their chromosomes respond to damage. Many patients with breast or prostate cancer show an increased sensitivity to damage which may explain why they go on to develop a cancer.
Studying how normal human cells change into cancer cells. In order to investigate this process in the laboratory. I have been able to grow normal human breast and prostate cells from normal individuals in the laboratory so I expose these cells to carcinogens, for example radiation, which damages these cells and turns them into cancer cells. We can thus study the changes that take place in a controlled way.
Normal cells and cancer cells secrete small particles called exosomes. We are studying these in patients with bladder cancer and in human cancer cells in cell culture in order to see whether these can be used for diagnostic purposes.
I currently am not offering any postgraduate or undergraduate projects.
Selected publications
-
Open access
KIAA0319 influences cilia length, cell migration and mechanical cell-substrate interaction
Diaz, R., Kronenberg, N. M., Martinelli, A., Liehm, P., Riches, A. C., Gather, M. C. & Paracchini, S., 14 Jan 2022, In: Scientific Reports. 12, 12 p., 722.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
-
Open access
Human urinary exosomes in bladder cancer patients: properties, concentrations and possible clinical application
Riches, A. C., Powis, S. J., Mullen, P., Harrison, D. J., Hacker, C., Lucocq, J. M., Bowness, J. S., Chapman, A., Cameron, R., McLornan, L., Chinn, D. J. & Leung, S., 11 Dec 2015, In: Bladder. 2, 3, 7 p., e19.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
-
Open access
Combined information from Raman spectroscopy and optical coherence tomography for enhanced diagnostic accuracy in tissue discrimination
Ashok, P. C., Praveen, B. B., Bellini, N., Riches, A., Dholakia, K. & Herrington, C. S., 4 Mar 2014, Biomedical Vibrational Spectroscopy VI: Advances in Research and Industry. Mahadevan-Jansen, A. & Petrich, W. (eds.). SPIE, Vol. 8939. 7 p. (Proceedings of SPIE; vol. 8839).Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceeding › Conference contribution
-
Discrimination of bladder cancer cells from normal urothelial cells with high specificity and sensitivity: Combined application of atomic force microscopy and modulated Raman spectroscopy
Canetta, E., Riches, A., Borger, E., Herrington, C. S., Dholakia, K. & Adya, A. K., 7 Jan 2014, In: Acta Biomaterialia. 10, 5, p. 2043-2055 13 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
-
Open access
Nonredundant Raman imaging using optical eigenmodes
Kosmeier, S., Zolotovskaya, S., De Luca, A. C., Riches, A. C., Herrington, C. S., Dholakia, K. & Mazilu, M., 20 Oct 2014, In: Optica. 1, 4, p. 257-263 7 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
-
Regulation of exosome release from mammary epithelial and breast cancer cells - a new regulatory pathway
Riches, A., Campbell, E., Borger, E. & Powis, S., Mar 2014, In: European Journal of Cancer. 50, 5, p. 1025-34 10 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
-
Monitoring the Rab27 associated exosome pathway using nanoparticle tracking analysis
Zheng, Y., Campbell, E. C., Lucocq, J., Riches, A. & Powis, S. J., 15 Jul 2013, In: Experimental Cell Research. 319, 12, p. 1706-13 8 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
-
Multi-modal approach using Raman spectroscopy and optical coherence tomography for the discrimination of colonic adenocarcinoma from normal colon
Ashok, P. C., Praveen, B. B., Bellini, N., Riches, A., Dholakia, K. & Herrington, C. S., 1 Oct 2013, In: Biomedical Optics Express. 4, 10, p. 2179-2186 8 p.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
-
Open access
Optimisation of wavelength modulated Raman spectroscopy: towards high throughput cell screening
Praveen, B. B., Mazilu, M., Marchington, R. F., Herrington, C. S., Riches, A. & Dholakia, K., 25 Jun 2013, In: PLoS One. 8, 6, 5 p., e67211.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review
-
Open access
Fluorescence suppression using wavelength modulated Raman spectroscopy in fiber-probe-based tissue analysis
Balagopal, B., Ashok, P. C., Mazilu, M., Riches, A. C., Herrington, C. S. & Dholakia, K., 9 Jul 2012, In: Journal of Biomedical Optics. 17, 7, 6 p., 077006.Research output: Contribution to journal › Article › peer-review