Southampton Cancer Research Centre receives £4m grant
1 Jul 2016 by Evoluted New Media
Southampton scientists will head an international team of researchers to develop new cancer treatments, after receiving a £4m grant from Cancer Research UK.
Southampton scientists will head an international team of researchers to develop new cancer treatments, after receiving a £4m grant from Cancer Research UK.
Over the next five years, the project will see scientists from the Southampton and Oxford Cancer Research Centres and the La Jolla Institute in California collaborate on immunotherapy. This is a form of cancer treatment designed to ‘boost’ the patient’s immune system to fight cancerous cells.
The funding will help scientists better understand why some tumours respond more positively to immunotherapy and find ways to make this treatment suitable for more people. Melanoma, lung and oesophageal cancers will be the researchers’ focus as new types of treatment are needed for these diseases, they said.
Professor Tim Elliot, from Southampton University, said: “We’re delighted to have been awarded this grant from Cancer Research UK to further our understanding of how immunotherapies work. This investment is vital to help us improve on these treatments and help avoid any unnecessary side effects for patients. Research such as this could ultimately lead to better ways to tailor treatment to individuals, giving them the best possible chance to beat their cancer.”
The research will take place at the new Centre for Cancer Immunology, due to open in 2017. Currently being built on the site of Southampton General Hospital, the Centre will provide space for clinical trials. The money given to Southampton University is part of a £16m Cancer Research investment across the UK to treat difficult cancers.
Dr Ian Foulkes, executive director for research funding at Cancer Research UK, said: “Effective partnerships are crucial for delivering the greatest science and boosting advancements in fighting cancer.
“We’re excited to be investing in collaborative and innovative research in Southampton and across the UK. It’s by working together and uniting expertise that we will accelerate cutting-edge research and save more lives,” he said.
