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DISCOVERING Hope Against Cancer

Impacting the World of Cancer Research
- from Right Here in Leicester

  • Hope Against Cancer has funded over 100 research projects in the form of fellowships, PhD studentships, and consumable grants.
  • The projects have covered a range of cancers at different stages of research – all with the aim of improving the lives of cancer patients.
  • By helping fund cutting-edge research in the area, Hope Against Cancer has played a role in Leicester becoming internationally recognised for its cancer expertise.
  • This has only been made possible by the massive support and generous donations from members of the public and local businesses and organisations.

Meet Some of Our Researchers & Projects

Hope Against Cancer is proud to have helped the Universities and Hospitals of our area develop and promote a stream of experts and specialists in various areas of cancer research.
These people are leading the fight against cancer, and we thought you'd like to put a few names and faces to a selection of the important projects that Hope has funded.

Professor Chris Talbot

Professor Chris Talbot

Professor Talbot has led an investigation into how acute ‘on treatment’ radiotherapy toxicities may result in late effects, which can have a significant impact on health-related quality of life.

Prof Talbot has subsequently secured a multi-million-pound Horizon grant with European collaborators that will look at new ways of predicting risk of radiotherapy side effects in breast cancer patients using artificial intelligence.

Dr. Esther Moss

Dr. Esther Moss

Dr Moss’s funding into endometrial cancer is helping to improve understanding of how ethnicity may be important in understanding drivers of cancer and how best to treat endometrial cancer.

Professor Catrin Pritchard
Professor Dean Fennell

Professor Catrin Pritchard, Professor Dean Fennell

Funding received by Prof Pritchard and Prof Fennell is helping to improve our understanding of a type of lung cancer caused by exposure to asbestos called mesothelioma. The research is improving our understanding of the use of immunotherapy treatments, and will inform us of new areas of research for patients with this type of cancer.

Professor Gareth Miles

Doctor Gareth Miles

Funding received by Dr Miles is allowing him to develop better ways to predict treatment responses to chemotherapy and other new drugs in breast cancer so that in the future we can make smarter treatment choices for our patients.

Professor Sandrine Jayne, Dr. Harriet Walter, Professor Martin Dyer

(Left to Right)
 Dr. Sandrine Jayne, Dr. Harriet Walter, Professor Martin Dyer

Funding received by Dr Jayne and Prof Dyer has helped develop a new pre-clinical model in lymphoma and resulted in subsequent funding from industry (£>400,000). The purchase of a new microplate reader has improved understanding of which drugs may help patients and, in some cases, inform personalised therapy of patients in the clinic.

Funding received by Prof Dyer and Dr Walter has led to new tools for early detection of relapse in Mantle cell lymphoma being studied in Leicester and led to Leicester’s involvement as only one of 4 UK sites in an important study in lymphoma using liquid biopsies.

Stages & Types of Our Research to Date

Initial research in the lab to understand cancer in the cell

New ideas for cancer treatments are developed from the lab, where experiments are done to understand the molecular events that make a cancer cell.

Testing drug candidates in the lab for effectiveness

Sometimes, a potential drug candidate is identified but whether or not it might have an effect on cancer cells is not known, and more experiments in the lab are done.

Clinical trials – studying the effects of a treatment on humans

Once data from the lab is collected, clinical trials can be done. It is done to test safety, dosage and the effectiveness of a drug with human volunteers.

Improving methods of diagnosis and treatment

Constantly working to improve methods of diagnosis and predicting how well treatments might work for an individual is a vital area of research work.

Improving the consultation experience

Hope funding has also been awarded to projects that improve the cancer journey at the doctor and patient interaction  level. Social inequalities may have an impact on an individual’s treatment process, and a study looking at this in lesbian, gay, bisexual and transexual people  has also been funded.

Detail on Selected Individual Projects

  • Development of an approach to cause the death of cancer cells in the blood

    Cancer cells have a unique property from normal cells. Targeting this property could selectively kill cancer cells, leaving healthy cells intact.

    Cells divide, and the amount and extent that this occurs is controlled by mechanisms in the body. Sometimes this control is lost and results in the growth and formation of a cell. Routine drugs used in chemotherapy are intended to block cell division in tumours to stop further growth. However, these drugs are not specific towards cancer cells – normal dividing cells and nerve cells are also affected. This is why tingling or a numbing sensation occurs as a side effect to chemotherapy. Response to the drugs also stops in some patients, reducing the number of options for cancer treatment. Strategies to specifically target and kill dividing cancer cells may be an option.


    Targetting an event that only occurs in cancer cells leave healthy cells unaffected

    Hope is funding a project to develop a new chemotherapy strategy, which is more effective than current options and with fewer side effects. Centrosomes are structures in a cell with an important role in cell division. Normal cells have 2 centrosomes, but some cancer cells have more. In a cell with too many centrosomes, the centrosomes cluster together in the cell. It is thought that de-clustering the centrosomes may cause the cell to die. Because clustering only occurs in cancer cells, a drug that de-clusters centrosomes will only target cancer cells and leave normal cells unaffected. This decreases the side effects associated with chemotherapy.

    Better understanding of how centrosome clustering occurs will hopefully provide the information needed to stop this. Ultimately, it is hoped that new chemotherapy drugs will be developed from the research.

    This award of £40,000 was given to Prof Richard Bayliss at the University of Leicester and is a part of a PhD studentship for Josephina Sampson.


  • The role of the protein PRDM6 in thoracic cancer and lymphoma

    Mutations in the PRDM6 gene is involved in thoracic cancer and lymphomas. Finding the cancerous properties of the resultant PRDM6 protein could lead to the development of a new cancer drug.

    Genes are made out of DNA and contains the information needed for making proteins vital for the smooth running of cellular activities. In each cell, DNA is organised in the same way into 46 chromosomes. Sometimes a piece breaks apart from one chromosome and joins another chromosome. Called translocation, this could result in abnormal amounts or the wrong protein to be made. This can then lead to cancer.


    The PRDM6 protein could be targeted in cancer treatment

    A translocation involving the PRDM6 gene is associated with lymphoma. As a result, too much PRDM6 protein is made, leading to cancer in the patient. This protein is also found in abnormal amounts in the cells of patients with thoracic cancer (cancer of the lungs or chest region). From this, it is thought that PRDM6 may have a general role in cancer.

    Funding by Hope was used to investigate the role of PRDM6. By finding out what goes wrong when too much is made and how to stop this, cancer patients with abnormal levels of the protein can be offered personalised therapies. This will enable the replacement of the current effective but toxic chemotherapy drugs with alternative tailored medicines, resulting in higher efficiency and milder side effects.

    This award of £5,000 was awarded to Dr Iidiko Gyory at the Department of Biochemistry and Cancer Studies at the University of Leicester and is part of Hope’s funding of priority research in the new Leicester Centre of Excellence.


  • The use of curcumin as a cancer prevention agent in bowel cancer

    Curcumin may be used as prevention agent and in the treatment of in bowel cancer. Understanding the underlying mechanisms of how this occurs can help us improve bowel cancer treatment.


    Colorectal cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the UK and the incidence rate is increasing. It represents the second most common cause of cancer death. Therapies to prevent or delay the onset of colorectal cancer as well as improvements to established treatment options are urgently needed.


    Recent studies have found that a small subset of cells termed cancer stem-like cells (CSCs) in tumours may be the cause of cancer development. In some patients these cells were also found to be resistant to chemotherapy and radiotherapy, making the cancer hard to treat. If CSCs can be targeted before tissues become cancerous, cancer can be prevented in people thought to be at high-risk of getting cancer. Current bowel cancer treatments can also be enhanced to improve survival rates.


    Curcumin and its anti-cancer effects

    The Cancer Chemoprevention Group has found that in the lab, the turmeric constituent curcumin is able to selectively target colorectal CSCs to stop cancer cell growth. In mice, curcumin delayed tumour growth and increased their survival rate. From these positive results, curcumin could be a good candidate as a safe and non-toxic therapeutic agent. It is hoped that curcumin is also able to target CSCs in human colorectal cancer tissues.


    This funded group has found that curcumin may work against cancer cells by binding to a specific protein to reduce cell division, which is what results in the growth of a tumour. In this project, the mechanism of how this happens will be tested and understanding of how this happens will be achieved. A clinical trial will be undertaken to further test if curcumin does affect the role of this protein for anticancer effects. This will allow larger clinical trials in the future using curcumin in colorectal and also breast cancer.


    This is the second project funded by HOPE where the use of curcumin in bowel cancer is studied. 


  • Testing a potential drug for use in T-cell lymphomas

    A molecule may have anticancer effects towards T-cell lymphomas, if this is found to be true, a clinical trial could be done to see its benefits in patients.


    T-cell lymphomas are a group of blood cancers from white blood cells of the immune system. Recently it has been shown that some T-cell lymphomas develop from a specific cell called T-follicular helper (Tfh) cells. These specific cancers are now termed Tfh lymphoma.


    Targetting Tfh lymphomas with antibodies

    Tfh lymphoma cancer cells have abnormally large amounts of a protein called ICOS, needed for cellular growth and survival. Anti-ICOS antibody is a molecule that blocks the action of ICOS. It could stop the cancer cell from growing and surviving, improving clinical outcomes for patients.


    This project aims to study the effect of anti-ICOS antibodies on Tfh lymphoma cancer cells. This will generate the essential data and information needed to propose a future clinical trial to see the effects of the drug in patients.


    This award of £9,000 was awarded to Dr Matthew Ahearne at the Department of Cancer Studies and Molecular Medicine at the University of Leicester and is part of Hope’s funding of priority research in the new Leicester Centre of Excellence.


  • Small molecule kinase inhibitor library

    The purchase of a library of many drug candidates, called a small molecule kinase inhibitor library allows the potential for new cancer drug development.


    There are many ongoing mechanisms in a cell that prevents it from turning cancerous. Kinases are essential proteins involved in anti-cancer mechanisms. Kinases are enzymes as they have biological activity. The root of many cancers such as chronic myeloid leukaemia, melanoma and a large proportion of non-small cell lung cancers are due to mutations of these proteins.


    Targetting kinases in cancer treatment

    Drugs that inhibit the effects of mutant kinases have proven to be very effective. These drugs are called kinase inhibitors. Many hundreds of kinase inhibitors have been developed and over twenty of them are now used in cancer treatment. These drugs can also be used as starting points for the development of new inhibitors.


    Funding from Hope Against Cancer has allowed the Leicester Cancer Research Centre to purchase a library of 356 kinase inhibitors. This central resource is available to cancer researchers based in Leicester. These kinase inhibitors can be tested to identify good candidates to be developed into new cancer drugs, or be used in combination with other drugs.


    This award of £9,300 was awarded to Prof Richard Bayliss at the Department of Cancer Studies and Molecular Medicine and Biochemistry at the University of Leicester and is part of Hope’s funding of priority research in the new Leicester Centre of Excellence.


  • Development of an approach to cause the death of cancer cells in the blood

    Cancer cells have a unique property from normal cells. Targeting this property could selectively kill cancer cells, leaving healthy cells intact.


    Cells divide, and the amount and extent that this occurs is controlled by mechanisms in the body. Sometimes this control is lost and results in the growth and formation of a cell. Routine drugs used in chemotherapy are intended to block cell division in tumours to stop further growth. However, these drugs are not specific towards cancer cells – normal dividing cells and nerve cells are also affected. This is why tingling or a numbing sensation occurs as a side effect to chemotherapy. Response to the drugs also stops in some patients, reducing the number of options for cancer treatment. Strategies to specifically target and kill dividing cancer cells may be an option.


    Targetting an event that only occurs in cancer cells leave healthy cells unaffected

    Hope is funding a project to develop a new chemotherapy strategy, which is more effective than current options and with fewer side effects. Centrosomes are structures in a cell with an important role in cell division. Normal cells have 2 centrosomes, but some cancer cells have more. In a cell with too many centrosomes, the centrosomes cluster together in the cell. It is thought that de-clustering the centrosomes may cause the cell to die. Because clustering only occurs in cancer cells, a drug that de-clusters centrosomes will only target cancer cells and leave normal cells unaffected. This decreases the side effects associated with chemotherapy.


    Better understanding of how centrosome clustering occurs will hopefully provide the information needed to stop this. Ultimately, it is hoped that new chemotherapy drugs will be developed from the research.


    This award of £40,000 was given to Prof Richard Bayliss at the University of Leicester and is a part of a PhD studentship for Josephina Sampson.


  • The use of cell free DNA as a liquid biopsy

    For a range of common cancers, a simple blood test could be taken in place of a tissue biopsy for diagnosis. The presence of a substance in the blood allows it to be used as liquid biopsy, improving the selection of anti-cancer therapies.

    Tissue biopsies are when tissue samples are taken from a tumour for cancer diagnosis. It can be taken under local or general anaesthetics, so recovery time from the procedure may be required. Due to the nature or location of some tumours, tissue biopsies are not possible in all cases. Because of these reasons, an alternative method for cancer detection is required.


    “Liquid biopsies” as a simple alternative for cancer diagnosis

    “Liquid biopsies” may be the answer. This is diagnosis of cancer from a just a blood test. All cancer cells contain DNA mutations, and small fragments of this DNA are released into the bloodstream, termed cell free DNA or circulating tumour DNA. Since cell free DNA from cancer cells is different from the DNA in normal healthy cells, finding cell free DNA originating from tumours in blood suggests that there is a cancer somewhere in the body. This means that cancers can be detected before symptoms become evident.


    This exciting research is Hope Against Cancer’s first funded Clinical Fellowship in the Centre of Excellence. The trial will involve taking biopsies from known cancers and comparing the DNA from these samples with the cell free DNA from the patient’s blood samples. If the DNA profiles match, it will support the use of blood tests in cancer diagnosis and treatment design.


    This “liquid biopsy” has huge potential in identifying and treating cancer. If it is successful, patients can give a blood sample with relative ease, which can be repeated at low risk. Samples will be analysed in a much shorter period of time, allowing earlier decisions on treatment regimes. If cancers can be detected sooner they can also be treated earlier. The information could also tell clinicians what treatments might be most effective for the patient. All of this will improve patient outcomes. Described as a “holy grail” of bench to bedside research, this is a significant project for Hope.

  • Using blood tests to identify pancreatic cancer

    A blood test could be used to detect pancreatic cancer at the early stages. For this to happen, markers of the cancer must be identified.


    Pancreatic cancer is the tenth most common cancer in the UK. There are often no obvious symptoms in the early stages of the disease making it difficult to diagnose until more advanced stages. This can limit the treatment options and further difficulties can occur if the cancer becomes resistant to chemotherapy. If the cancer could be detected earlier, the possibility of successful treatment would be greatly increased.


    Healthy cells shed DNA, termed cell free DNA into the bloodstream; the same is true for cancer cells. This project utilises cell free DNA to develop tests for the early detection of pancreatic cancer. By taking a blood test to look at cell-free DNA, cancer genes can be tracked.


    One of the hallmarks of cancer presence is the mutation of genes involved in the progression or repression of cell growth. Being able to detect these changes at an early stage would allow patients to be identified and treated potentially before the cancer spreads.


    One key benefit of using cell-free DNA as a “liquid biopsy” is that a blood sample is well tolerated, and is a minimally invasive alternative to the current method of tissue biopsy. This liquid biopsy analysis could also be expanded to personalising treatment and to track any emergence of resistance to therapy.


    Using a “liquid biopsy” to detect pancreatic cancer at its early stages

    This project investigates which pancreatic cancer mutations can be identified through blood tests, and aims to develop a custom panel of genes to form the basis of the genetic test. This could help detect pancreatic cancer earlier, allowing more effective treatment and improving the life chances for patients.


    This award of £75,000 was awarded to Prof Jacqui Shaw and Prof Maggie Manson. The research was carried out by Dr. Patricia Adamo.


  • Early diagnosis of Melanoma

    Terahertz imaging may be a useful tool in the early diagnosis of melanomas, allowing earlier treatment and improved survival rate.


    Melanoma is the most serious form of skin cancer and the incidence rate is increasing every year. Currently initial diagnosis is by looking at a patient’s clinical history, examination by a dermatologist and the use of a dermatoscope, which is a special magnifier to study skin lesions. When diagnosed early, malignant melanomas can be treated and 95% of people will live for 5 years or more. It is vital to research new ways of identifying malignant tumours as early as possible.


    Using a safe imaging technique to diagnose melanoma

    This HOPE funded project will look at developing a new diagnostic tool for the early detection of malignant melanoma skin cancer. The proposed system is based on terahertz imaging of suspected melanomas, and will involve scanning the affected region of the patient’s skin. This safe imaging technique is sensitive in distinguishing between healthy and cancer cells. A software will be used to help in the decision-making process. This non-invasive tool would be used before operating on the cancerous tissue.


    The funding allows the development of the methods to analyse terahertz imaging, and an investigation into what information this can give. From this work, it is believed that the terahertz imaging could highlight regions of the tumour not detectable by the naked eye. If these regions contain cells that may cause problems during treatment, they can be removed in surgery to prevent these problems. There will be significant benefits to patients if the technology can accurately detect the early changes in melanoma development before it has progressed to a more advanced stage.


    The award of £75,000 was awarded to Prof Geoff Smith as a 3-year PhD studentship for Martin Muller-Holtz. The project will be a collaborative study between De Montfort University and the University Hospitals Leicester NHS Trust.


  • Development of a blood or urine test to improve treatments for Hodgkin's Lymphoma.

    Identifying molecules in blood or urine that predict the effectiveness of treatments for Hodgkin’s Lymphoma will allow improved treatments to be given to patients.


    Hodgkin’s Lymphoma is cancer arising from white blood cells. As white blood cells are part of the immune system, patients are more susceptible to infections. The NHS states that it is one of the most easily treated types of cancer. Still, about 15% of patients treated for Hodgkin’s Lymphoma fail to respond to treatment, or the cancer will return. These patients often require more intense chemotherapy, and the dosage has to be balanced with toxicity and side effects. Being able to predict the effectiveness of treatments for individuals would enable those that may have poor outcomes to receive more intense treatment. A current approach is by PET-CT scanning. However it is expensive to operate and requires an expert to interpret the results.


    Taking a blood or urine test to give information on Hodgkin’s Lymphoma

    This project will focus on developing a relatively simple blood or urine test, which will be easier and more cost effective to carry out than a PET-CT scan. A “state of the art” analytical technique known as high-resolution nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy will be used. It can rapidly monitor hundreds of molecules in body fluid samples and identify molecules that are reliable indicators of the future course and outcome of patients with Hodgkin’s Lymphoma. Information about the development and progression of disease may also be inferred from the results. This will help in the development of new treatments for this condition.


    This award of £35,000 was awarded to De Montfort University’s School of Pharmacy.



  • Predicting how patients react to radiotherapy

    Radiotherapy for cancer treatment is met with varying side effects in patients. Developing blood tests that would allow clinicians to predict these responses would make radiotherapy a more comfortable treatment for all patients.


    Radiotherapy is second only to surgery in its contribution to cancer survival and is used in almost half of cancer treatments. It uses high-energy radiation to destroy cancer cells and is carried out over multiple sessions over a period of time. This can be necessary before surgery to shrink a tumour, or after surgery to remove any remaining tumour. Though effective, patients do show a wide range of reactions to radiotherapy, and 5 out of 100 people show especially adverse effects.


    Predicting an individual’s reponse to radiotherapy would help clinicians decide on the dosage to be used

    Modern techniques have helped improve treatment and lower side effects. However it would be advantageous to be able predict a patient’s response to be able to personalise their treatment. For example, if it is known that a patient would have little side effects from radiotherapy, higher dose of radiation could be used. On the other hand alternative treatments may be considered if a particularly adverse reaction is expected.


    A study called REQUITE studies patients with lung, breast and prostate cancers. It aims to develop a type of blood test to be used to predict an individual’s response to radiotherapy.


    The development of other tests for the same purpose would improve the chances of successful prediction, as clinicians will have more data to make a decision. Funding by Hope Against Cancer will allow the study of such other tests. Predicted values will be made from other tests studied and they will be tested for their reliability. This research will make radiotherapy a safer and more comfortable treatment.


    This award of £6,990 was awarded to Dr Chris Talbot at the Department Cancer Studies and Molecular Medicine and MRC Toxicology at the University of Leicester. The work will primarily be conducted by Dr Kirstie Johnson, who is a radiation oncologist and is part of Hope’s funding of priority research in the new Leicester Centre of Excellence.


  • Can Omega 3 infusions help patients with advanced pancreatic cancer?

    Omega-3 found in fish oil may help advanced pancreatic patients by slowing its growth, preventing its spread and preventing weight loss of the patient.


    Pancreatic cancer may show no symptoms at the early stages so is not diagnosed until it is at an advanced stage. Surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy are considered in its treatment. Some of the factors that decrease the quality of life for these patients are caused by cytokines and prostaglandins – these are inflammatory molecules produced by the body as a result of the cancer.


    Omega 3 to combat inflammatory molecules in cancer

    Fish oils contain high concentrations of omega-3 fatty acids, which are proven to have anti-inflammatory effects. This has a direct effect on cancer cells, reducing the rate at which they divide, increasing cell death and making it more difficult for them to spread to other parts of the body. Early analysis suggests that infusions of omega-3 fatty acids appear to slow the progression of advanced pancreatic cancer. It also reduces weight loss as it is a good source of nutrition. Associated with improved quality of life, omega-3 infusions are relatively inexpensive, safe and well tolerated by patients.


    This study was carried out at the Department of Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery at Leicester General Hospital. It was funded to investigate the mechanisms behind the benefits, providing essential information to support a larger trial – which may in turn lead to omega-3 fatty acids being adopted as part of standard care for patients. It is envisaged that this will lead to omega-3 emulsions improving outcomes for pancreatic cancer patients within 5 to 10 years.


    This grant of £75,000 was awarded to Prof Ashley Dennison at the University Hospitals of Leicester for two years.


  • Improving patient care with a consultation support tool

    The development of a Consultation Support Tool for communication between doctors and patients will improve the consultation experience for patients.


    The medical consultation is central to a patient’s care pathway. It is important that communication between the doctor and patient is clear and provides the patient with information that helps them understand their treatment options and therapeutic goals. Doctors can improve this by adapting their style of communication for a particular interaction, eliciting and addressing the patient’s agenda, and discussing prognosis.


    Improving the interaction between doctor and patient

    This study will explore how a Consultation Support Tool, developed in partnership with patients and researchers, will support the consultation process between patients and their doctors. Patients are asked to complete a short questionnaire on how they are feeling prior and after seeing their doctor. This will help improve the care of patients by learning from their experiences.


    The tool is designed to provide doctors with an indication of how much knowledge the patient has about their illness and how involved the patient wishes to be when making decisions about their care. This enables the doctor to structure the consultation in closer alignment with the patient’s agenda.


    The Consultation Support Tool should improve the consultation experience for the patient. This award of £18,600 was awarded to University of Leicester Hospitals NHS Trust.



  • Improving the cancer journey for lesbian, gay and bisexual people living with cancer

    An investigation into the quality of life, support and experiences of LGBT people with cancer will be used to improve their experiences through the cancer pathway.


    Every year in the UK, 250,000 people are diagnosed with cancer while more than two million people are living with the disease. Although there are multiple factors, there is increasing recognition that an individual’s social characteristics play part in their quality of life and survivorship. These differences are known as cancer inequalities and they include lesbian, gay, bisexual people and transsexual (LGBT) people.


    Learning more about LGBT people living through cancer

    Estimates suggest that there may be 40,000 LGBT people living with cancer in the UK; yet relatively little is known about their experiences of care and support. International studies suggest that LGBT people have higher risks and increased prevalence of some cancers in comparison to the general population. Yet, due to the lack of formal support groups and targeted health information, LGBT people may have a poorer post-diagnosis experience and lower quality of life with cancer.


    This study seeks to understand the nature of LGBT patients’ support networks, their need for appropriate information and their experience through the cancer pathway, so we can develop effective guidelines for health and social care professionals.


    This grant of £16,400 was awarded to Prof Julie Fish from the Department of Social Sciences at De Montfort University.


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