BCI paves the way for the next era of radiation research in £18m partnership
Cancer Research UK (CRUK) has announced renewed funding of the CRUK City of London Radiation Research Centre of Excellence – a partnership uniting leading radiation researchers from Barts Cancer Institute (Queen Mary University of London), King’s College London, University College London and The Francis Crick Institute. CRUK has pledged £5.9m, adding to £12 million leveraged from partners including the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), Wellcome Trust, and National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR), as well as the Barts Charity and Guy’s Cancer Charity.
The new funding will allow the Centre to continue its world-class research, with areas of focus including the biological understanding of radiation resistance, investigating new radiation drug combinations, and developing new clinical trials. By growing its portfolio of clinical trials, the Centre will pursue its “bench to bedside” pipeline, prioritising cancers of unmet need.
Professor Kairbaan Hodivala-Dilke, Deputy Director of the BCI and Executive Board Member of the Radiation Research Centre of Excellence, said:
"The BCI combines pioneering discovery cancer research with some of the most advanced pre-clinical radiotherapy facilities in the country. We’re grateful for CRUK’s renewed commitment and look forward to continuing our close collaboration with our partners at the Crick, UCL and King’s to bring the next generation of radiotherapies to patients sooner."
One area of BCI’s research focuses on understanding how radiotherapy affects the complex metropolis of non-cancerous cells surrounding the tumour, known as the tumour microenvironment. Gaining insights into how radiation impacts how these cells support or inhibit cancer growth promises to improve treatment outcomes and reduce side effects.
Another area of BCI’s research is the development of novel radiolabelled molecules, or radiopharmaceuticals. These molecules hold potential as targeted therapies and also enable sophisticated cancer imaging techniques, helping to improve cancer diagnosis and monitoring.
A world-class centre of radiation research excellence
So far, Cancer Research UK has invested over £42 million in its radiotherapy network. Increasing understanding of the underpinning biological mechanisms in radiotherapy, and how best to apply and deliver it, is a priority for the charity.
Dr Iain Foulkes, Executive Director of Research and Innovation at Cancer Research UK, said:
“Cancer Research UK, and its predecessors, have been at the forefront of radiation research for the past 120 years. Thanks to research, radiotherapy treatment is becoming kinder, more precise and less intensive across different cancers.
“This funding marks a new phase of our RadNet network, advancing research which will further accelerate improvements in radiotherapy treatment in the clinic. This funding will work alongside our investments in pioneering radiotherapy clinical trials to ensure more people can live longer, better lives, free from the fear of cancer.”
Category: General News, Grants & Awards
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