Dr Luigi Ombrato
Group Leader / Lecturer
Barts Cancer Institute
Queen Mary University of London
Queen Mary University of London
Research
Tumour Microenvironment, Metastasis, Immune cells, Stromal cells, Immunotherapy
Interests
Our lab uses 3D models (including heterotypic spheroids/tumoroids, transwell scaffolds, hydrogels) to study the interactions between cancer cells, stromal cells and immune cells.These systems help us to dissect the molecular mechanims underlying metastasis formation and to understand how the different cellular components within the tumour microenvironment communicate with each others and with the cancer cells during the establishment of a tumour supportive niche.
Cancers of interest: breast, colorectal, pancreatic.
Publications
2025
Abstract B008: Understanding myeloid and lymphoid cell heterogeneity following radiotherapy and its impact on metastasis development in breast cancerPerini A, Brucoli M, Acton S, Ombrato L
Clinical Cancer Research, American Association For Cancer Research (Aacr) vol. 31 (2_Supplement), b008-b008.
26-01-2025
2024
Abstract B022: Investigating how monocytes impair NK cell cytotoxicity in lung metastasis of triple-negative breast cancerErmogenous C, Beattie G
Cancer Research, American Association For Cancer Research (Aacr) vol. 84 (22_Supplement), b022-b022.
17-11-2024
Corrigendum to “Early functional mismatch between breast cancer cells and their tumour microenvironment suppresses long term growth” [Cancer Lett. 544 (2022), 215800]Perdrix Rosell A, Maiques O, Martin JAJ, Ombrato L
Cancer Letters, Elsevier vol. 597
01-07-2024
Bidirectional activation of stem-like programs between metastatic cancer and alveolar type 2 cells within the nicheRodrigues FS, Karoutas A, Ruhland S, Rabas N, Rizou T, Di Blasio S, Ferreira RMM, Bridgeman VL et al.
Developmental Cell, Elsevier vol. 59 (18), 2398-2413.e8.
11-06-2024
2023
Isolation of Live Immune Cells from the Tumor Microenvironment by FACSKafka A, Ermogenous C, Ombrato L
Methods in Molecular Biology, Springer Nature vol. 2748, 1-12.
10-12-2023
2022
In vivo labelling system to study cell neighbourhoodsOmbrato L
Nature Reviews Cancer, Springer Nature vol. 22 (12), 661-661.
29-09-2022
Early functional mismatch between breast cancer cells and their tumour microenvironment suppresses long term growthPerdrix Rosell A, Maiques O, Martin JAJ, Chakravarty P, Ombrato L, Sanz-Moreno V, Malanchi I
Cancer Letters, Elsevier vol. 544
06-07-2022
Disrupted control of origin activation compromises genome integrity upon destabilization of Polε and dysfunction of the TRP53-CDKN1A/P21 axisBorel V, Boeing S, Van Wietmarschen N, Sridharan S, Hill BR, Ombrato L, Perez-Lloret J, Jackson D et al.
Cell Reports, Elsevier vol. 39 (9)
01-05-2022
Author Correction: Radiation exposure elicits a neutrophil-driven response in healthy lung tissue that enhances metastatic colonizationNolan E, Bridgeman VL, Ombrato L, Karoutas A, Rabas N, Sewnath CAN, Vasquez M, Rodrigues FS et al.
Nature Cancer, Springer Nature vol. 3 (4), 519-519.
01-04-2022
Radiation exposure elicits a neutrophil-driven response in healthy lung tissue that enhances metastatic colonizationNolan E, Bridgeman VL, Ombrato L, Karoutas A, Rabas N, Sewnath CAN, Vasquez M, Rodrigues FS et al.
Nature Cancer, Springer Nature vol. 3 (2), 173-187.
01-02-2022
2021
Early functional mismatch between breast cancer cells and their tumour microenvironment suppresses long term growthRosell AP, Maiques O, Chakravarty P, Ombrato L, Sanz-Moreno V, Malanchi I
, Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory
15-06-2021
Integrated OMICs unveil the bone-marrow microenvironment in human leukemiaPassaro D, Garcia-Albornoz M, Diana G, Chakravarty P, Ariza-McNaughton L, Batsivari A, Borràs-Eroles C, Abarrategi A et al.
Cell Reports, Elsevier vol. 35 (6)
01-05-2021
2020
Generation of neighbor-labeling cells to study intercellular interactions in vivoOmbrato L, Nolan E, Passaro D, Kurelac I, Bridgeman VL, Waclawiczek A, Duarte D, Lo Celso C et al.
Nature Protocols, Springer Nature vol. 16 (2), 872-892.
11-12-2020
Technical Advancements for Studying Immune Regulation of Disseminated Dormant Cancer CellsOmbrato L, Montagner M
Frontiers in Oncology, Frontiers Media vol. 10, 594514-594514.
04-11-2020
2019
Author Correction: Metastatic-niche labelling reveals parenchymal cells with stem featuresOmbrato L, Nolan E, Kurelac I, Mavousian A, Bridgeman VL, Heinze I, Chakravarty P, Horswell S et al.
Nature, Springer Nature vol. 575 (7784), e8-e8.
01-11-2019
Metastatic-niche labelling reveals parenchymal cells with stem featuresOmbrato L, Nolan E, Kurelac I, Mavousian A, Bridgeman VL, Heinze I, Chakravarty P, Horswell S et al.
Nature, Springer Nature vol. 572 (7771), 603-608.
28-08-2019
Subclonal cooperation rewrites metastasisOmbrato L, Malanchi I
Nature Cell Biology, Springer Nature vol. 21 (7), 797-798.
01-07-2019
Inducing cancer indolence by targeting mitochondrial Complex I is potentiated by blocking macrophage-mediated adaptive responsesKurelac I, Iommarini L, Vatrinet R, Amato LB, De Luise M, Leone G, Girolimetti G, Umesh Ganesh N et al.
Nature Communications, Springer Nature vol. 10 (1)
22-02-2019
2015
Mesenchymal Cancer Cell-Stroma Crosstalk Promotes Niche Activation, Epithelial Reversion, and Metastatic Colonizationdel Pozo Martin Y, Park D, Ramachandran A, Ombrato L, Calvo F, Chakravarty P, Spencer-Dene B, Derzsi S et al.
Cell Reports, Elsevier vol. 13 (11), 2456-2469.
01-12-2015
2014
Temporal Perturbation of the Wnt Signaling Pathway in the Control of Cell Reprogramming Is Modulated by TCF1Aulicino F, Theka I, Ombrato L, Lluis F, Cosma MP
Stem Cell Reports, Elsevier vol. 2 (5), 707-720.
01-05-2014
The EMT Universe: Space between Cancer Cell Dissemination and Metastasis InitiationOmbrato L, Malanchi I
Critical Reviews™ in Oncogenesis, Begell House vol. 19 (5), 349-361.
01-01-2014
2012
Regulation of self-renewal and reprogramming by TCF factorsOmbrato L, Lluis F, Cosma MP
Cell Cycle, Taylor & Francis vol. 11 (1), 39-47.
01-01-2012
2011
T-cell factor 3 (Tcf3) deletion increases somatic cell reprogramming by inducing epigenome modificationsLluis F, Ombrato L, Pedone E, Pepe S, Merrill BJ, Cosma MP
Proceedings of The National Academy of Sciences of The United States of America, Proceedings of The National Academy of Sciences vol. 108 (29), 11912-11917.
05-07-2011
2007
Lactoferrin Induces Concentration-Dependent Functional Modulation of Intestinal Proliferation and DifferentiationBuccigrossi V, de Marco G, Bruzzese E, Ombrato L, Bracale I, Polito G, Guarino A
Pediatric Research, Springer Nature vol. 61 (4), 410-414.
01-04-2007
Grants
Grants of specific relevance to Predictive in vitro Models
Controlling metastasis formation through inhibition of myeloid cell-myeloid cell cross-talkLuigi Ombrato
£744,164 CR-UK Cancer Research UK
01-10-2024 - 30-09-2030
Understanding the systemic effects of adjuvant radiotherapy on metastasisLuigi Ombrato
£74,695 Barts and the London Charity
08-04-2024 - 07-04-2025
KTP with LiftBioSciences: 3D TME model to study neutrophil cytotoxicity (PI: Luigi Ombrato)Luigi Ombrato and Oliver Pearce
£232,790 Innovate UK
30-08-2023 - 29-08-2025
Understanding how neutrophils remodel the extracellular matrixLuigi Ombrato
£20,000 Royal Society
21-03-2022 - 20-09-2023
Characterising neutrophil:macrophage cross-talk in metastatic nichesLuigi Ombrato
£99,997 Academy of Medical Sciences
01-03-2022 - 31-07-2025
3D co‐culture to test N‐LIfT Cell Therapy in pancreatic cancerLuigi Ombrato
£49,047 RE Research England
01-09-2021 - 31-05-2022
Characterise the immuno-metabolic reprogramming in colorectal cancer liver metastasisLuigi Ombrato
£50,000 Bowel Research UK ( formerly Bowel & Cancer Research)
01-09-2021 - 09-01-2024