North West Cancer Research is proud to announce funding for four innovative PhD projects, as the charity continues to support the next generation of cancer researchers in their mission to improve diagnosis, treatment and patient outcomes.
Dr Frances Turrell is leading a project which aims to understand why immunotherapy is less effective in breast cancers that are dependent on the hormone oestrogen. As these types of breast cancers are the most common, she is setting out to better understand the biology of breast cancer and how the cell types communicate within the tumour to ultimately identify new ways to enhance immune response, potentially opening doors for better treatments.
Dr Jason Bruce is tackling pancreatic cancer - one of the most aggressive and hard to treat cancers. He has set out to test potent new drugs designed to block a protein that drives the spread of pancreatic cancer by controlling calcium levels inside the cells. If this protein is successfully blocked, it will cause calcium build up and the cancer cell will die. Lab models of pancreatic cancer will be genetically engineered to study how well the new drugs work against them. If successful, this research could lead to new treatments that slow or stop the spread of pancreatic cancer, offering hope for improved survival rates.
Also funded during the round was Dr Andrew Davison, who is developing a test for precancerous changes to the lining of the womb by measuring small molecules in vaginal fluid. Findings will be compared against healthy women and analysed to develop new tests that can identify those at high risk of endometrial cancer before it occurs. This research could offer new hope for early diagnosis and prevention and lower the need for surgical intervention by hysterectomy, in turn reducing the risk of post-surgery complications.
Professor Stephen Taylor’s project is focused on high-grade serous ovarian cancer - the most aggressive type of ovarian cancer and the hardest to treat. This project is exploring an exciting new drug target, an enzyme called PARG, in a bid to better understand how they work and identify which patients are most likely to benefit, bringing hope for better, more targeted treatments for ovarian cancer.
Each project demonstrates the Charity’s commitment to funding innovative research that has the potential to transform cancer diagnosis, treatment and care for the communities of the North West.
