Could unlocking the immune system be the next step in treating aggressive bowel cancer?
Cancer types:
Bowel cancer
Project period:
–
Research institute:
Cardiff University
Award amount:
£239,809
Location:
United Kingdom
The Curestarter research team in Wales want to create more vital treatment options for bowel cancer. They will explore the relationship between cancer cells and immune cells to develop new immunotherapies that will hopefully be effective for a wider range of patients.
Why is this research needed?
Bowel cancer is the third most common type of cancer and the second leading cause of cancer deaths worldwide. Unfortunately, the global number of cases of bowel cancer are projected to increase substantially in the next ten years. There is an urgent need for new therapies to give individuals with bowel cancer more options and hopefully, increase the effectiveness of treatment.
Immunotherapy is a powerful targeted cancer treatment. There are many different types of immunotherapy but, they share one main goal: to use, control and enhance our own immune system’s ability to kill cancer. Immunotherapy has been hugely successful across certain types of cancers, however it is much less effective for many bowel cancer patients. Professor Gallimore and her team, want to uncover the mysteries of the relationship between our immune system and bowel cancer. They hope to use this knowledge to offer patients anew bowel cancer treatment, giving them more time with their loved ones.
As I’ve grown older, like many people, I’ve seen more friends, colleagues and loved ones affected by cancer. That makes it very personal. You begin to see cancer not just as a disease, but as something that deeply affects families, relationships and futures. That human impact is a powerful motivation.
What is the science behind this project?
In your immune system there is a specific type of white blood cell, called a T cell, that plays a key role in fighting bowel cancer. Unfortunately scientists still do not know how these T cells recognise and attack cancer. Without this insight it is a real challenge to develop new treatments.
That’s where Professor Gallimore and her amazing team come in. They have created a collection of innovative lab-grown mini tumours from real bowel cancer patients. They want to use these models to finally understand how T cells recognise and react to different types of bowel cancer. The team believe that another type of immune cell, called regulatory T cells, supress our bodies’ ability to attack bowel cancer. As part of their mini tumour testing the team will experiment with reducing these regulatory T cells, hoping to discover if this enhances the other T cells ability to kill cancer.
Studying these lab-grown mini tumours, also known as organoids, is highly valuable as they closely mimic real human tissues. Cutting-edge science like this will help the team make the crucial breakthroughs needed to help create a new immunotherapy for bowel cancer.
What difference could this project make to patients in the future?
Professor Gallimore’s research could change the way we treat bowel cancer. New and more effective treatment options are vital as we continue to try and improve all patients’ quality of life. More personalised treatments like immunotherapies offers patients treatment plans that works best for their cancer. Professor Gallimore and her teams’ work can take us one step closer to helping bowel cancer patients lead long and full lives beyond their cancer diagnosis.
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