Ridiculous cuts to AI cancer tech funding in England could cost lives, experts warn

Ministers have cut millions of pounds of funding for potentially life saving AI cancer technology in England, which cancer experts warn will increase waiting times and could cause more patients to die.

Contouring is used in radiotherapy to ensure treatment is as effective and safe as possible. The tumour and normal tissue is “mapped” or contoured on to medical scans, to ensure the radiation targets the cancer while minimising damage to healthy tissues and organs.

Normally, this is a slow, manual process that can take doctors between 20 and 150 minutes to complete. AI auto-contouring takes less than five minutes and costs around £10-£15 per patient.

from AOL

Read full story here.

 

Donation to Cardiff University – Confocal Microscope

Donation towards a confocal microscope at Cardiff University

Cancer Research & Genetics UK have made a generous donation of £10,000 to fund the repairs needed for a broken confocal microscope and several fluorescent antibodies to be used in experiments carried out on the microscope.

Why do we need a confocal microscope?
Confocal microscopy plays an integral part of any discovery research project. At the European Cancer Stem Cell Research Institute (ECSCRI) at Cardiff University, we are united around a common goal – to identify and target cancer stem cells, which are present in all human tumours and are responsible for tumour recurrence, therapy resistance, metastasis and poor prognosis. Cancer stem cells are present in tumours in low numbers and are highly ‘plastic’, i.e., they readily change into different cell states, depending on factors in the tumour microenvironment. To target cancer stem cells, we need to understand how/when they emerge in a tumour and how they function in different tumour contexts and in response to therapies. Confocal microscopy is essential for this research because it allows us to see and ‘track’ cancer stem cells in a tumour/tissue in space and time. Using fluorescently tagged antibodies or reporters, we can label proteins specific to cancer stem cells and then image the cells in 2D and 3D tissues with high resolution. This is very powerful because by imaging cells in different tissue/tumour environments over time, we gain important insights into how cells function in tumours or in response to therapies. Understanding the cell biology of cancer helps us to discover new biomarkers of when and how cancer stem cells arise in a tumour, identifies ‘dangerous’ metastatic cells, and helps to reveal novel therapeutic targets.

The confocal microscope is an essential piece of equipment and is a ‘workhorse’ system for most cancer research projects within ECSCRI and the School of Biosciences at Cardiff University. A functioning system will support the day-to-day research of ongoing and future cancer discovery research and the research-led teaching of postgraduate and early career cancer researchers at ECSCRI. Current projects that will immediately benefit include: the study of early stages of pancreatic and lung cancers with view to identify novel biomarkers for early detection; harnessing a new therapeutic target of brain cancer stem cells (glioblastoma); targeting cancer stem cells in breast, prostate and gastric cancers using novel compounds; understanding how the tumour microenvironment supports tumour progression and therapeutic resistance in pancreas, lung, prostate and brain tumours; unravelling how lifestyle factors (e.g., high fat diets) impact on intestinal and pancreas health and increase cancer risk.

 

£1.5m AI and Genetics Project

A new project aims to help doctors predict whether a man’s prostate cancer will be aggressive at the point of diagnosis – giving him the best-targeted treatment before it spreads. A new £1.5 million research project harnessing artificial intelligence (AI) and cutting-edge genetic analysis hopes to do just that.

A multidisciplinary team across the UK, led by Professor Ros Eeles at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, has collected data from blood and tumour samples belonging to 2,000 men with prostate cancer across nine countries, and will analyse them to look for unique genetic signatures in the samples from men whose cancer is aggressive. The project is funded by Prostate Cancer UK.

To read more – click here.

 

Artificial Intelligence reveals prostate cancer is not just one disease

Artificial Intelligence has helped scientists reveal a new form of aggressive prostate cancer which could revolutionise how the disease is diagnosed and treated in the future.

A Cancer Research UK-funded study, published in Cell Genomics, reveals that prostate cancer, which affects one in eight men in their lifetime, includes two different subtypes termed evotypes.

Professor Ros Eeles, Professor of Oncogenetics at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, and Honorary Consultant in Clinical Oncology and Cancer Genetics at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, said: “This study has utilised the enormous genomic dataset from The Pan Prostate Cancer Group – a powerhouse of information about prostate cancer from around the world. These results will hopefully lead to better treatments for patients, demonstrating the importance of data sharing and team science.”

To read the full article – click here.

TRANSFORM trial

“The £42 million TRANSFORM trial, the biggest prostate cancer screening trial in 20 years, could save the lives of thousands of men each year.” – Prostate Cancer UK

Prostate Cancer UK is launching this new initiative – the TRANSFORM trial – to improve the way we screen men for prostate cancer.

It is the most ambitious trial in prostate cancer screening for 20 years and has been put together by the NHS, the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR) and the UK Government. Funding has also come from the UK Government, Movember and the Freddie Green and Family Charitable Foundation and others.

The TRANSFORM trial, will target hundreds of thousands of men for screening. 12,000 men die of prostate cancer each year, it is the most common cancer in the UK and yet doesn’t have a screening programme.

for more details visit the Prostate Cancer UK website – click here.

ICR Donation

Cancer Research & Genetics UK are donating £10000 to Professor Eeles research at the ICR.

“We, at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, are extremely grateful for the generous donation from Cancer Research and Genetics UK to sponsor the maintenance and servicing of our vital sequencing machine, MiSeq. This piece of equipment enables us to continue our work of identifying genetic variants contributing to prostate cancer predisposition. Your continued support of our mission to defeat cancer is invaluable.”

The MiSeq is one of the smallest benchtop sequencers that can perform onboard cluster generation, amplification, genomic DNA sequencing, and data analysis, including base calling, alignment and variant calling, in a single run. 

Liverpool University Donation

The University of Liverpool has received another £10,000 donation from Cancer Charity, Cancer Research and Genetics UK (CRGUK), further securing the long-standing partnership which has seen the CRGUK donate over £70,000 to the University to help fund vital cancer research.

Nick Phillips, Director of CRGUK said “We’re delighted to help fund a new qPCR machine for the University of Liverpool, Cancer Research Centre which will help the amazing work being done there to help the fight against cancer. Its great to hear that our donation is being put towards such a cutting-edge piece of technology and hope it supports the team in their vital research for many years to come. CRGUK is very proud of our relationship with the University of Liverpool and we look forward to working with them in the future”.

The latest donation is being used to fund a quantitative Polymerase Chain Reaction machine (qPCR) which will allow the team in Liverpool to identify potentially cancerous gene cells. In the laboratory, the team will use the qPCR machine to measure the level at which a particular gene or set of genes is expressed, which allows them to measure the levels of the gene using fluorescent dyes which bind to the gene. The more the gene is expressed, the more fluorescence there will be.

Specialists in Liverpool can then can take these discoveries they make in the laboratory and apply them practically to benefit human health in a process called translational research. The aim of this type of research is to improve how we prevent, detect and treat diseases such as cancer.

Different groups within the department of molecular and clinical cancer medicine carry out translational research on several types of cancer. These include leukaemia and lymphoma (cancers of the blood), pancreatic cancer and cancers of the head and neck. Each one of these research groups examines gene expression using patient samples to better understand the mechanisms responsible for disease progression and/or how resistance to therapy develops. The current qPCR machine at the University has been a workhorse for this type of work for several years. However, this machine is now nearing the end of its useable life. Further technological advances mean newer qPCR machines are not only more sensitive, but they can measure the levels of several different fluorescent dyes at the same time. This enables the team to look at how the change in expression of one gene can affect the expression of several other genes. The purchase of a new qPCR machine will not only allow the team to continue their translational cancer research, but also enhance it. This will ensure we continue to deliver high quality translational research leading to improved overall healthcare delivery and outcomes for patients.

You can find out more about the work of the University of Liverpool, Cancer Research Centre here.

Cardiff University Donation

Donation to colorectal cancer at Cardiff University

Cancer Research and Genetics UK’s generous £10,000 donation to Cardiff University will be used to fund a Nano Photometer Spectrophotometer and two freezers for Matthew McKenna’s research project into treatments for colorectal cancer.

Colorectal cancer is a major health issue worldwide, usually treated with surgery, radiotherapy, or drugs.  Cardiff’s researchers are interested in how the body handles these drugs. In some other cancers, certain proteins, which are called ‘transporters,’ are really important for treatment. We do not know much about their role in colorectal cancer yet, but early studies suggest they could be key in determining how a patient responds to their treatment. The research could improve the way colorectal cancer is treated, offering patients more effective, personalised care and a better chance at a longer, healthier life.

Your support

The success of our project hinges on hinges on the availability of precise and reliable equipment which your donation will be used to fund.

A Nano Photometer Spectrophotometer

A Nano Photometer Spectrophotometer is important for accurately measuring the concentration and purity of nucleic acids (RNA, DNA) and proteins. This device operates on the principle of spectrophotometry, which involves measuring how much a target absorbs light by passing a light beam through it. It is essential for our lab’s operation and will give accurate readings and ensure the integrity of our limited tissue samples.

Two high-specification freezers

These will house an extensive collection of invaluable research materials, including donated and commercial cancer cells, tissues, and various samples needed for our research. These -80°C freezers are equipped with an auto-defrost feature which will protect our samples from risk of damage or loss from temperature fluctuations and degradation. They will preserve the scientific, economic, and ethical value of our resources.

Thank you so much for your generosity.

Liverpool Update – Cancer Research Genetics UK Oct ’23

Translation Immunology Group 

We hope you enjoy reading this update report on your generous donation to the Translational Immunology Group at the University of Liverpool, part of the Department of Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine Institute of Systems, Molecular and Integrative Biology. 

The Translational Immunology Group is currently working on a number of key areas of immunotherapy for cancer treatment, including head and neck cancer, lung cancer and mesothelioma. Your donation has enabled the team to purchase vital equipment for their research. Thank you. 

To read the report – click here.

Bowel Screening Age Lowered To 51 In Wales

Finally, the Welsh Government and the Health Service are going to honour their 2008 pledge that Bowel Screening roll out for the 50-74 years age group would be rolled out over 5 years. We have had many excuses from the lack of training colonoscopists to Eluned Morgan’s recent excuse blaming Covid. The Government in the future need to ensure screening and other health initiatives are fully researched and planned for their ability to deliver on time.

Health Minister Eluned Morgan is urging people to use their kit when it arrives in the post.

Almost nine out of ten people survive bowel cancer when it is detected and treated earlier on

Starting from today (Wednesday 4 October), people aged 51-54 who are registered with a GP in Wales will be offered self-screening for bowel cancer, and will automatically receive an easy-to-use, bowel screening kit in the post every two years.

The programme will come into full effect for the newly eligible age group gradually over the next year.

Bowel cancer is one of the most common cancers in Wales. Between 2018-2020 there were nearly 7000 registered cases of bowel cancer, but the survival rate is high.

Completing a home test kit is part of the bowel screening process. In 2019, the Welsh Government introduced a new, easy-to-use, FIT (Faecal Immunochemical Test) at-home testing kit. With increased sensitivity, the kit can better detect bowel cancer in those who are at risk and has contributed to an improved screening uptake of 65% in the current age cohort of men and women aged 55 to 74.

The move is part of a phased approach to lower the screening age to 50, based on the recommendation of the UK National Screening Committee.

Imperial partners in UK’s first total-body PET platform for drug discovery

Imperial researchers are partners in a UK initiative to improve clinical imaging for research and the development of new treatments.

Scientists at Imperial College London are among a UK-wide team of experts set to lead a new national clinical imaging platform which could see patients benefit from full-body scans.

Launched today, the National PET Imaging Platform (NPIP) will deploy total-body positron emission tomography (PET) across the UK, with two state-of-the-art total-body scanners based at hubs in Scotland and London, expected to be operational as soon as April 2024.

More information here.

To read the full article – click here.

 

Supporting Cancer Research Equipment Donation

The University of Liverpool is most grateful to Cancer Research and Genetics UK and their supporters for the enormous generosity in supporting our research needs over the years. The recent donation to the Translational Immunology Group in the Department of Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine has supported the purchase of two vital pieces of equipment:

Evident/Olympus microscope CX43

This microscope will be used for our work in immunohistochemistry.

We have a large panel of antibodies that we are developing for use in a large multiplex panel however, they all need to be worked up individually.

We will use this microscope in conjunction with pathologists to confirm staining on control and cancer tissues prior to their use in a multiplex assay.

EVOS™ XL Core Configured Cell Imager with Mechanical Stage.

We will use this in the laboratory for cell culture.

This microscope is that it has a screen which will enable the laboratory group to jointly look at the cells and also to take images of cells.

This capability will be extremely valuable to record the visual differences in cells as we culture them under different conditions.

The Translational Immunology Group is currently working on a number of key areas of immunotherapy for cancer treatment, including head and neck cancer, lung cancer, mesothelioma, and glioblastoma, which is the most common type of primary brain cancer.

Despite intensive treatment with surgery, radiotherapy & chemotherapy, people with glioblastoma on average lose 20 years of life – the highest average years of life lost compared to other cancers.

The group are working on a new type of treatment that is revolutionising oncology by manipulating the body’s own immune system into fighting cancer.

Thank you for helping us to research promising new treatments for these devastating diseases.

For more information please contact:

Mark Horne

Development Manager

Development and Alumni Relations team

University of Liverpool

Victoria Building

Liverpool

L69 3DR

T: +44 (0)151 794 6940

W: www.liverpool.ac.uk/giving

 

Proposal for Cancer Research and Genetics UK 

Understanding the genetic causes of prostate cancer 

June 2022 

We are enormously grateful for the generosity of Cancer Research and Genetics UK over the years in supporting The Institute of Cancer Research’s (ICR) prostate cancer research. We hope you will now continue your support with a further donation towards the cutting-edge prostate cancer research led by Professor Ros Eeles. 

Your support is critical as more than 52,000 people are diagnosed with prostate cancer every year in the UK, and around 22,000 patients are considered at “high -risk” of their cancer spreading. The number of men diagnosed with the disease has also been increasing over the last ten years as more men get tested and the population continues to age. 12,000 men will lose their life to prostate cancer each year in the UK leaving their loved ones devastated. 

UK Genetic Prostate Cancer Study 

The UK Genetic Prostate Cancer Study (UKGPCS) was first established in 1993 and is the largest prostate cancer study of its kind in the UK, involving nearly 200 hospitals, including our clinical partner, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust. The study which is led by Professor Eeles of the ICR aims to find genetic changes which are associated with prostate cancer risk. If we can find alterations in genes that increase the chances of getting prostate cancer, it may be possible in the future to use this knowledge: 

  • To screen other family members to see if they are also at a higher risk of developing prostate cancer. 
  • To develop new prostate cancer treatments for the future. 

The target is to recruit 26,000 men into the study by 2022 and so far, 22,947 men have been recruited. 

Causes of prostate cancer 

Although prostate cancer is the commonest cancer in men in the UK, with 1 in 8 men developing prostate cancer in their lifetime, its causes remain very poorly understood with few established risk factors. 

The fact that prostate cancer incidence tends to be much higher in Western countries (for example the USA and UK), together with migrant studies, indicates that lifestyle and/or environmental factors such as diet could be important determinants of prostate cancer risk. However, so far little is known abou t which lifestyle factors might contribute to prostate cancer, and results between current studies are conflicting. 

Part of the study involves collaboration with Professor Kenneth Muir at the University of Manchester who is conducting a study into which environmental factors might affect prostate cancer risk. Men taking part in the UKGPCS can also opt to take part in the environmental study if they wish by filling in a lifestyle questionnaire. 

Genetic causes of prostate cancer 

The UKGPCS was set up to find genetic alterations which occur in patients who have prostate cancer. A man’s risk of developing prostate cancer increases if he has a first-degree relative (father or brother) who was diagnosed with prostate cancer at a young age. 

Therefore, the researchers are looking for men who are affected at a young age or who have a family history of prostate cancer, since it is more probable that these prostate cancers are due to an inherited genetic cause rather than an environmental cause. 

All men who come to the Royal Marsden Hospital to be treated for prostate cancer are asked if they would like to take part in the study so that the researchers can also look to see if they find genetic alterations in older men, and those who do not have a f amily history of prostate cancer. 

Ethical approval to continue to collect samples for the study is in place until the end of 2022 and this will be extended until 2027 once approved, as the study is being extended for another five years. 

How you can help 

The last decade has brought major advances in the way we diagnose and treat prostate cancer and men with advanced disease (those whose cancer has spread to other parts of the body) are living longer than ever. However, there remains an urgent need to continue our research to understand the causes of prostate cancer as more men are being diagnosed with the disease every year. 

Professor Eeles and her team are striving to make further advances for the ultimate benefit of patients with prostate cancer all over the world. To do so, they need to secure funding for a new -80 freezer for their laboratory. This will allow them to safely store blood samples collected from patients enrolled onto the UKGPCS. Their current freezer is over 10 years old and needs replacing. If the freezer should break down the team would need to urgently decant the samples into a back-up freezer and then transfer them back into the original freezer once it has been repaired. This carries the risk of compromising the quality of the samples and thus negatively affecting the research. Following the latest engineer’s report, the team have been advised to purchase a new freezer as soon as possible as the current freezer is coming to the end of its lifespan. 

We would be delighted if Cancer Research and Genetics UK would consider renewing their support of Professor Eeles’ vital research. A donation of £10,275 would allow the team to purchase a new freezer and safely store patient samples – the basis of the genetic research they undertake in this study. 

Your kind support would enable Professor Eeles and her team to make further advances for the ultimate benefit of prostate cancer patients everywhere. 

 

Mama Dear by O’Reily

Mama Dear

“After a chance meeting with Mr Nick Philips, the director of the charity, I played him the demo of the song “Mama Dear” and Nick immediately agreed that the song could help his charity. He suggested we record the track at Rockfield Studios in Monmouth. The iconic venue, where many a music legend have hung out. Artists such as Budgie, Queen, Oasis, David Bowie, Simple Minds and Coldplay to name just a few have all recorded there.” – O’Reily, singer songwriter

To hear the song or see the video, just click the logo. If you like the song you can always donate to the charity direct.

All proceeds from the sale of the song are going to: Cancer Research & Genetics UK.

 

Donation to Imperial University

17/01/23

Imperial University, London

Cancer Research & Genetics UK have donated £10,000 to Imperial University, London to purchase a histology slide screen.

“Our mission is to ensure all men have access to fast and accurate diagnosis of prostate disease. We want patients to receive intelligent and personalised therapies which minimise complications.” – Professor Hashim U. Ahmed, Chair of Urology, Imperial College London

Nick Philips also spoke in the Prostate Cancer Masterclass Conference organised by Imperial Prostate.

 

Donation to Cardiff University

6/12/22

University of Cardiff

Early career stage researchers, Dr Aaron Wall and Dr Bruce MacLachlan (they work under Prof. Awen Gallimore who we have previously supported and Prof. Andrew Godkin) are looking at how the immune system detects and interacts with cancer cells and have a really exciting project to get set up and off of the ground. They want to establish a human cell expression facility for the study of immune proteins involved in tumour recognition and once established, the facility could be used by researchers across the University and have a huge impact on our research.

Cancer Research & Genetics UK have donated £10,000 to help establish this project.

 

Ottensmeier Group

1/7/21

University of Liverpool – Ottensmeier Group

The University of Liverpool and local NHS partners recently invested in a major new programme of immunology cancer research to help translate new discoveries into novel treatments for patients as quickly as possible.

World-leading experimental cancer researcher Professor Christian Ottensmeier leads a team of interdisciplinary researchers, focusing initially on immuno-oncology in head and neck and lung cancer.

Read more – click here.

 

Beaston Pebble Appeal

28/6/21

Beaston Pebble Appeal

An example of the ground-breaking research taking place at Glasgow includes the work taking place in The Cagan Laboratory. They are investigating and developing new cancer treatments using a classical tool, the fruit fly, Drosophila. The fly models are designed to capture important aspects of patient tumours in a whole animal context, which are then utilised to develop unique therapies tuned to the whole-body network. Fly models have so far been developed for colorectal, thyroid, lung, and liver cancers, as well as rare inherited diseases. This innovative approach has also led to a fly-to-bedside clinical trial, towards truly personalised treatments for cancer patients.

 

INCISE project

28/6/21

INCISE project and purchase of two high specification GPU cards

Computational workstations to enable deep learning-based bowel cancer screening in the University of Glasgow Digital Pathology Research Centre

We are delighted with the support from Cancer Research and Genetics UK which will facilitate the creation of a Digital Pathology Research Centre (DPRC) in the Institute of Cancer Sciences. As technology becomes available to improve cancer screening and diagnosis with the help of computers, we are building this centre to address this need in Glasgow and beyond. We will build on-site and remotely accessible digital workstations to further our research into cancer detection and classification with the purchase of two high specification graphics processing units (GPU) cards, connected by an interlink so they can be used together (giving a colossal 96Gb of GPU memory) or as separate cards (allowing two different scientists from two different groups to use them simultaneously). These computers are central to the deep learning aspirations of the DPRC and our first project around intestinal polyps and colorectal cancer, INCISE, which is described below.

Deep learning is used to infer conclusions from images. For example, it can examine pathology specimens and identify which cells are cancerous and whether they are actively spreading from the tumour. They can do some tasks far more accurately than a human pathologist and have the further advantage of not getting tired or bored, but we have found they are most useful when used as tools to help pathologists identify key tumour features. To do this, deep learning networks must be trained using huge amounts of data, with the amount they can hold at once determines their eventual accuracy.

Graphics processor computing is a highly specialised subfield of programming that has been embraced by the deep learning community; it is particularly suitable because the calculations that are needed to train models can be performed in parallel, making GPUs much faster than traditional computers. The computer we have requested will more than double our capacity for training new networks, which will make it possible to use more detailed and informative models. It will also be powerful enough that the computer would have been in the world’s top 200 or so as recently as 2012.

We will set up an on-site (located in the Wolfson Wohl Cancer Research Centre, WWCRC) and remotely accessible well-equipped computer with two NVIDIA RTX A6000 GPU cards, linked together using an NVLINK to create a machine in which both A6000s can be used together if large, data-hungry models are needed, or separately by two groups if not.

Our exemplar project for the DPRC is the innovative INCISE (INtegrated teChnologies for Improved polyp SurveillancE) programme, which aims to transform bowel cancer screening in the UK by developing a tool that can predict which patients with precancerous growths (polyps) in their bowels, will develop further polyps in the future. Professor Joanne Edwards, Professor of Translational Cancer Pathology, is leading the collaboration consisting of academics from across the College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences, NHS colleagues and Scottish technology companies. INCISE will combine polyp tissue from colorectal cancer patients with data from the NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde Scottish Bowel Cancer Screening Programme to train algorithms to predict patients’ future risks. The team will combine information about specific changes in polyp structure, as seen under the microscope and analysed using deep learning, with new analysis of the genetic mutations that cause polyps to grow. This comprehensive risk stratification tool will, for the first time, predict polyp recurrence by utilising the latest developments in digital pathology, machine learning and next generation sequencing. INCISE will improve cancer detection, whilst directly reducing the number of people requiring repeated colonoscopy, a costly, invasive, and unpleasant procedure.

 

Chemiluminescence system

31/05/21

Chemiluminescence system for the Division of Cancer and Genetics at Cardiff University

Your generous donation will be used to purchase a chemiluminescence system for the Division of Cancer and Genetics at Cardiff University. Chemiluminescence is an analytical imaging technique that can be used to detect specific proteins in a sample using a chemical reaction to produce a white light. The system will support of the work of Professor Duncan Baird and Professor Alan Parker as well as the wider Division.

Professor Duncan Baird and his team are focused on understanding how telomere dysfunction can drive the evolution of the cancer genome. Telomeres are the structures found at the ends of chromosomes and when they become dysfunctional, they lead to large-scale genomic mutation. The lab has developed unique single-molecule approaches to determine telomere length and characterise telomere fusion events, the clinical application of these technologies has led to the development of high-resolution prognostic and predictive markers in several tumour types, including chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, multiple myeloma, myelodysplasia and breast cancer. These technologies also have applications for informing patient selection and product development of cellular therapeutics. The chemiluminescence system is essential for this research and will be used to detect specific proteins involved in DNA repair at telomeres.

Professor Alan Parker and his team research viral immunotherapies. Their research focusses on the development of refined virotherapies able to distinguish between transformed and healthy cells. Upon infection, these precision virotherapies replicate whilst simultaneously overexpressing therapeutic transgenes, typically designed to heighten the immune response against the infected cell and encoded from within the genome of the genetically modified agent. A chemiluminescence system is an essential piece of equipment and critical for the team?s day to day research.

 

Institute of Cancer Research

31/05/21

Institute of Cancer Research

As part of their ongoing research Professor Ros Eeles’ work required a centrifuge. In addition to previous donations Cancer Research Genetics UK were delighted to be able to help with a donation of £10,000. The centrifuge will help with the processing of samples and several other applications within the lab.

Professor Rosalind Eeles is searching for genetic variants that increase a person?s risk of prostate cancer and is currently leading a clinical trial looking into whether regular screening of men with certain genetic mutations leads to earlier diagnosis.

Web link – Scientists Search For Genetic Test To Spot Prostate Cancer

 

Clatterbridge Cancer Centre

01/07/20

Cancer Research & Genetics UK have donated £10,000 to the Clatterbridge Cancer Centre at the new Liverpool hospital to buy -86 C freezers for storing tissue samples of patients in cancer research. The work we are supporting will be under the guidance of Dr Maria Maguire, who is researching into the molecular mechanisms of cancer.

The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust is one of the UK?s leading cancer centres providing highly specialist cancer care to a population of 2.3m people across Cheshire, Merseyside and the surrounding areas including the Isle of Man.

We are a tertiary cancer centre which means we see patients who have already been diagnosed and referred to us by other hospitals. We provide non-surgical cancer care e.g. chemotherapy and radiotherapy for solid tumours and blood cancers.

Website – click here

 

Donation to Cardiff University

27/03/20

Cancer Research & Genetics UK have donated £10k to Professor Andrew Sewell’s work at Cardiff University. His research group is focused on T-cell antigens and the receptors that recognise them. Cancer Research and Genetics UK?s donation will purchase a Leica M60 Stereomicroscope and Thermo BB15 CO2 Incubator. Both of these pieces of equipment will support the research group?s ongoing work looking for potential cancer vaccines, engineering T-cells against cancer and studying T-cells from patients who have undergone successful cancer immunotherapy.

Leica M60 Stereomicroscope

An important part of our work revolves around visualizing the molecular interactions that take place between T-cell receptors and molecular parts of cells infected with viruses or that have become cancerous. It is impossible to ?see? molecules using light, so we use high energy X-rays and a technique called X-ray crystallography. This requires that we crystallize the molecules we want to look at and transport them to Diamond Light Source (the UK’s synchrotron facility) where they are placed in a high energy X-ray beam. The way the atoms in the molecules scatter these X-rays can be used to build up an atomic structure of the molecule. We have produced molecular structures of more than 90 immune molecules and this structural analysis has given us an insight into T-cell function, viral escape mechanisms, mechanisms of autoimmunity, information on potential vaccines and on how the immune system can distinguish healthy cells from cancer cells.

The new microscope will streamline the process of crystal-harvesting. The speed of harvesting is known to impinge on the final resolution of the molecular image that can be obtained. As things stand, most of the crystals we harvest do not produce useful data. This microscope could reduce this failure rate.

Thermo BB15 CO2 Incubator, including a stacking stand

Growing immune cells requires that we mimic the situation inside the body in terms of oxygen:carbon dioxide ration and temperature. A new CO2 Incubator will provide increased capacity in the tissue culture laboratory. Unfortunately, a recent power cut resulted in the malfunction of an old but essential incubator. We do not have the funds to replace this incubator at this time due to the unforeseen nature of the breakdown. The new incubator will allow us to continue working on all our projects to the same capacity without risking adverse events by overloading the existing infrastructure. The stacking stand we will be able to increase the capacity without increasing the footprint of the equipment in the limited space we have available for tissue culture.