Loughborough University is a top-ten rated university in England for research intensity (REF2014) and an outstanding 66% of the work of Loughborough’s academic staff who were eligible to be submitted to the REF was judged as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’, compared to a national average figure of 43%. In choosing Loughborough for your research, you’ll work alongside academics who are leaders in their field. You will benefit from comprehensive support and guidance from our Doctoral College, including tailored careers advice, to help you succeed in your research and future career. Secondary metastases account for 90% of cancer-related deaths, and 30-40% of cancers are preventable through dietary and lifestyle choices. Oesophageal cancer is the 6th most common cause of cancer-related death in the UK (CRUK, 2014) and has a poor survival rate (12%). Physical activity (PA) is defined as the contraction of SkM resulting in a quantifiable expenditure of energy (Caspersen et al., 1985) and is emerging as a palliative therapy in cancer patients (Mishra et al., 2012). Animal studies demonstrate dose-dependent protective effects of exercise against early tumour development (Goh et al., 2012). Regular PA significantly reduces oesophageal cancer risk (Moore et al., 2016). High- and moderate-intensity exercise exerts differential effects on inflammatory processes and immune cell mobilisation (Gleeson et al., 2011). However, little is known about the mechanistic effects of PA on tumour development and metastasis. 
Conventional 2D cell culture provides limited insight into the physiological tumour response to PA. Designing experiments to systematically evaluate this is problematic in cancer patients, logistically and ethically: by contrast, tissue engineering circumvents these issues. This project will involve the novel application in cancer research of a well-established tissue engineered 3D human skeletal muscle model (Martin et al., 2013) by co-culture with carcinogen-induced oesophageal epithelial cells cultured as 3D spheroids to study PA effects on tumour growth, metastasis and adaptive anti-cancer immune responses. This may illuminate the molecular basis of PA effects on oesophageal cancer growth and metastasis, providing scope to design exercise programmes as a form of adjunctive chemotherapy.