Professor Hemant Kocher

MBBS, MS, MD, FRCS
Professor of Liver and Pancreas Surgery
Group Leader, Research Theme Lead

ORCiDResearch GateGoogle Scholar

Research Focus

I am a surgeon-scientist. My clinical research interests include tissue banking, clinical trials, innovative surgical techniques, epidemiology, meta-analysis and patient care pathways. My translational research interests include pancreatic cancer stroma and tumour-stroma cross-talk including cell signalling, adhesion, metastasis, invasion leading to innovative therapies and novel biomarkers.

Key Publications

Pancreatic Cancer Chemotherapy Is Potentiated by Induction of Tertiary Lymphoid Structures in Mice. Cell Mol Gastroenterol Hepatol (2021) S2352-345X(21)00138-7. PMID: 34252585. Cover of the Journal.

Pentraxin 3 is a stromally-derived biomarker for detection of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. NPJ Precis Oncol (2021) 5(1):61. PMID: 34188166

Phase I clinical trial repurposing all-trans retinoic acid as a stromal targeting agent for pancreatic cancer. Nat Commun (2020) 11(1):4841. PMID: 32973176. Voted by Editors as Highlight in Translational and Clinical Research.

Inter- and intra-tumoural heterogeneity in cancer-associated fibroblasts of human pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. J Pathol (2019) 248(1):51-65. PMID: 30575030. Awarded Jeremy Jass Prize for Research Excellence.

Major Funding
  • 2021-2024- Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund, Retinoic acid regulation of pancreatic stellate cell phenotype, £200,978
  • 2021-2022- CRUK-EPSRC-PCUK, Panc-Cys-Gan, £100,000 (multiple coI).
  • 2021-2023- Data-driven risk and prognosis prediction from EHRs, CAP-AI, £100K (with Prof Chelala)
  • 2019-2024- MRC DPFS, Phase IIb randomised clinical trial repurposing ATRA as a stromal targeting agent in a novel drug combination for pancreatic cancer (STAR-PAC2), £1,417,355
  • 2018-2022- Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund, ‘The role of T-cells within tertiary lymphoid structures of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma,’ £197,313
  • 2015-2022- Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund Tissue Bank, £2,340,000
Other Activities
  • National Cancer Intelligence Network (Upper GI and Pancreas)
  • Cancer Study group of British Society of Gastroenterology
  • Chairman Scientific Advisory Board, Pancreatic Cancer Action UK (charity)
  • Member, Scientific Advisory Committee, Worldwide Cancer Research
  • Member, Medical Advisory Committee, Pancreatic Cancer UK MDT co-Lead: Barts and the London HPB MDT
Research

Biobanking Director:

Clinical trials:

My translational research interests include stromal biology of pancreatic cancer, biomarker discovery, and investigations into liver metastasis and duodenal cancers (UKDCSG). My clinical interests include clinical trials and epidemiology in patients with hepato-biliary-pancreatic disorders, surgical development, innovative surgical techniques, risk-assessment and quality improvement. My clinical practice is at the Barts and the London HPB Centre at the Royal London Hospital of Barts Health NHS Trust. My recent work according to research areas is listed below:

Stromal biology of pancreatic cancer

Inter- and intra-tumoral heterogeneity in cancer-associated fibroblasts of human pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Neuzillet C, Tijeras-Raballand A, Ragulan C et alJ Pathol (2018) 248(1):51-65. PMID: 30575030

Stromal SPOCK1 supports invasive pancreatic cancer growth. Veenstra VL, Damhofer H, Waasdorp C, Steins A, Kocher HM, Medema JP, van Laarhoven HW, Bijlsma MF. Mol Oncol (2017) 11(8):1050-1064. PMID: 28486750

PAK4 interacts with p85 alpha: implications for pancreatic cancer cell migration. King H, Thillai K, Whale A, Arumugam P, Eldaly H, Kocher HM, Wells CM. Sci Rep (2017) 7:42575. PMID: 28205613

Expression of polymeric immunoglobulin receptor and stromal activity in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Arumugam P, Bhattacharya S, Chin-Aleong J, Capasso M, Kocher HM. Pancreatology (2017) 17(2):295-302. PMID: 28173980

Biomarker discovery

PET-PANC: multicentre prospective diagnostic accuracy and health economic analysis study of the impact of combined modality 18fluorine-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose positron emission tomography with computed tomography scanning in the diagnosis and management of pancreatic cancer. Ghaneh P, Hanson R, Titman A et alHealth Technol Assess (2018) 22(2) 1-114. PMID: 29402376

ADAM12 is a circulating marker for stromal activation in pancreatic cancer and predicts response to chemotherapy. Veenstra VL, Damhofer H, Waasdorp C et alOncogenesis (2018) 7(2) 87. PMID: 30442938

Predicting complications in hepatic resection for colorectal liver metastasis: the lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio. McCluney SJ, Giakoustidis AA, Segler A et al. ANZ J Surg (2018) 88(2) E782-E786. PMID: 30014560

Neutrophil: Lymphocyte ratio as a method of predicting complications following hepatic resection for colorectal liver metastasis. McCluney SJ, Giakoustidis A, Segler A et alJ Surg Oncol (2018) 117(2) 1058-1065. PMID: 29448304

Biobanking

The Pancreatic Expression Database: 2018 update. Marzec J, Dayem Ullah AZ, Pirrò S, Gadaleta E, Crnogorac-Jurcevic T, Lemoine NR, Kocher HM, Chelala C. Nucleic Acids Res (2018) 46(D1):D1107-D1110. PMID: 29059374

Pancreatic cancer tissue banks: where are we heading? Balarajah V, Ambily A, Dayem Ullah AZ, Imrali A, Dowe T, Al-Sarireh B, Abu Hilal M, Davidson BR, Soonawalla Z, Metcalfe M, Chin Aleong JA, Chelala C, Kocher HM. Future Oncol (2016) 12(23):2661-2663. PMID: 27541064

Model systems

Pancreatic Cancer Organotypic Models. Coetzee A, Grose R, Kocher H. Curr Top Microbiol Immunol (2019) 10.1007/82_2019_155. PMID: 30790075

Clinical guidelines

Recommendations from the United European Gastroenterology evidence-based guidelines for the diagnosis and therapy of chronic pancreatitis. Dominguez-Munoz JE, Drewes AM, Lindkvist B, Ewald N, Czakó L, Rosendahl J, Löhr JM; HaPanEU/UEG Working Group. Pancreatology (2018) 18(8):847-854. PMID: 30344091

Unravelling the pharmacologic opportunities and future directions for targeted therapies in gastro-intestinal cancers part 2: Neuroendocrine tumours, hepatocellular carcinoma, and gastro-intestinal stromal tumours. Neuzillet C, de Mestier L, Rousseau B et alPharmacol Ther (2018) 181(2) 49-75. PMID: 28723416

Unravelling the pharmacologic opportunities and future directions for targeted therapies in gastro-intestinal cancers Part 1: GI carcinomas. Neuzillet C, Rousseau B, Kocher H, Bourget P, Tournigand C. Pharmacol Ther (2017) 174:145-172. PMID: 28223233

United European Gastroenterology evidence-based guidelines for the diagnosis and therapy of chronic pancreatitis (HaPanEU). Löhr JM, Dominguez-Munoz E, Rosendahl J, Besselink M, Mayerle J, Lerch MM, Haas S, Akisik F, Kartalis N, Iglesias-Garcia J, Keller J, Boermeester M, Werner J, Dumonceau JM, Fockens P, Drewes A, Ceyhan G, Lindkvist B, Drenth J, Ewald N, Hardt P, de Madaria E, Witt H, Schneider A, Manfredi R, Brøndum FJ, Rudolf S, Bollen T, Bruno M; HaPanEU/UEG Working Group. United European Gastroenterol J (2017) 5(2):153-199. PMID: 28344786 

Clinical care and patient pathways

Factors affecting length of stay after percutaneous biliary interventions. Roy M, Kyaw Tun J, Banerjee A et al. Br J Radiol (2019) 92(1096):20180814. PMID: 30359118

Solid pseudopapillary tumour of the pancreas: clinicopathological analysis. McCluney S, Wijesuriya N, Sheshappanavar V et al. ANZ J Surg (2018) 88(9):891-895. PMID: 29316119

Complications of biliary-enteric anastomoses. Kadaba RS, Bowers KA, Khorsandi S, Hutchins RR, Abraham AT, Sarker SJ, Bhattacharya S, Kocher HM. Ann R Coll Surg Engl (2017) 99(3):210-215. PMID: 27659373

Role of laparoscopy in hepatobiliary malignancies. Arumugam P, Balarajah V, Watt J, Abraham AT, Bhattacharya S, Kocher HM. Indian J Med Res (2016) 143(4):414-9. PMID: 27377496

Epidemiological studies

Resection rate, hospital procedure volume and survival in pancreatic cancer patients in England: Population-based study, 2005-2009. Coupland VH, Konfortion J, Jack RH, Allum W, Kocher HM, Riaz SP, Lüchtenborg M, Møller H. Eur J Surg Oncol (2016) 42(2):190-6. PMID: 26705143

Outcome after surgical resection for duodenal adenocarcinoma in the UK. Solaini L, Jamieson NB, Metcalfe M, Abu Hilal M, Soonawalla Z, Davidson BR, McKay C, Kocher HM; UK Duodenal Cancer Study Group. Br J Surg (2015) 102(6):676-81. PMID: 25776995

Time and deprivation trends in incidence of primary liver cancer subtypes in England. Konfortion J, Coupland VH, Kocher HM, Allum W, Grocock MJ, Jack RH. J Eval Clin Pract (2014) 20(4):498-504. PMID: 24902884

Other Activities

NHS roles:      

External roles:

 

Major Funding
  • 2021-2024- Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund, Retinoic acid regulation of pancreatic stellate cell phenotype, £200,978
  • 2021-2022- CRUK-EPSRC-PCUK, Panc-Cys-Gan, £100,000 (multiple coI).
  • 2021-2023- Data-driven risk and prognosis prediction from EHRs, CAP-AI, £100K (with Prof Chelala)
  • 2019-2022 - Medical Research Council, 'Dissecting the role of extra centrosomes-induced exosome secretion in PDAC microenvironment'
  • 2019-2024 - Medical Research Council, 'Phase IIb randomised clinical trial repurposing ATRA as a stromal targeting agent in a novel drug combination for pancreatic cancer (STAR-PAC2),' £1,417,355
  • 2018-2022- Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund, ‘The role of T-cells within tertiary lymphoid structures of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma,’ £197,313
  • 2018-2021 - Cancer Research UK, 'Anti-tumour specificity and functionality of monoclonal antibodies derived from single lesional B cells from ectopic germinal centres in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma'
  • 2016-2019 - Medical Research Council, 'Development of an effective therapeutic regimen for treatment of advanced pancreatic cancer using a novel immunotherapeutic agent,' £577,000
  • 2015-2022- Pancreatic Cancer Research Fund Tissue Bank, £2,340,000
  • 2005-2010 - NIHR Trainees Coordinating Centre (Leeds), 'The role of tumour cell and stromal cell interactions in modulating the invasive behaviour of pancreatic cancer,' £874,000
Recent Publications

Chemotherapy Assessment in Advanced Multicellular 3D Models of Pancreatic Cancer: Unravelling the Importance of Spatiotemporal Mimicry of the Tumor Microenvironment Gupta P, Bermejo‐Rodriguez C, Kocher H et al. Advanced Biology (2024) (10) e2300580

Abstract B011: Lower incidence of small intestinal adenocarcinomas may be due to constrained copy number karyotype and increased immune surveillance Nowinski S, Balarajah V, Baker A-M et al. Cancer Research (2024) 84(10) b011-b011

Corrigendum: Arachidonate 15-lipoxygenase-mediated production of Resolvin D5n-3 DPA abrogates pancreatic stellate cell-induced cancer cell invasion Aguirre GA, Goulart MR, Bank BPT et al. Frontiers in Immunology 15(10) 1353835

Prognostication for Patterns of Recurrence After Surgical Resection for Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma Ang A, Michaelides A, Bank BPT et al. European Journal of Surgical Oncology (2024) 50(10) 107164

HPB P27 Prognostication for Patterns of Recurrence After Surgical Resection for Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma Ang A, Michaelides A, Bank BPT et al. British Journal of Surgery (2023) 110(10) znad348.165

Arachidonate 15-lipoxygenase-mediated production of Resolvin D5n-3 DPA abrogates pancreatic stellate cell-induced cancer cell invasion Aguirre GA, Goulart MR, Bank BPT et al. Frontiers in Immunology 14(10) 1248547

Pancreatic surgery outcomes: multicentre prospective snapshot study in 67 countries Fusai GK, Raptis DA, Abu Hilal M et al. British Journal of Surgery 111(10) znad330

CD73 controls Myosin II–driven invasion, metastasis, and immunosuppression in amoeboid pancreatic cancer cells Samain R, Maiques O, Monger J et al. Science Advances (2023) 9(10) eadi0244

795 Predictors and Timing of Recurrence After Surgical Resection of Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma Ang A, Michaelides A, Bank BPT et al. British Journal of Surgery (2023) 110(10) znad258.024

SP9.5 Outcomes after Emergency Cholecystectomy: A Multicentre Retrospective Cohort Study Borakati A, Hughes F, Kocher H et al. British Journal of Surgery (2023) 110(10) znad241.102

For additional publications, please click here
Team

Postdoctoral Researchers
Dr Dayem Ullah, Dr Francesca Delvecchio, Dr Abigail Coetzee

PhD Students
Mr Vickna Balarajah, Mr Abhirup Banerjee, Mr Gabriel Agguire, Ms Rachel Fincham, Dr Mohammed Zardab, Dr Konstantinos Stasinos, Ms Lavanya Sivapalan, Ms Minal Patel

Tissue Bank staff
Mr Ajith Vajrala,  Ms Christine Hughes, Ms Rhiannon Roberts, Mr Ahmet Imrali, Ms Amina Saad

Biography

I joined the Barts Cancer Institute in February 2005 with the award of National Clinician Scientist Fellowship by the National Institute of Health Research (UK). I completed my MD (Res) at King's College London and general surgical and HPB Surgery training in South-East Thames. I qualified with numerous distinctions, awards and scholarships from University of Mumbai in 1993. I finished my surgical training in Mumbai (KEM Hospital) in 1996, leading to a best thesis award for MS (General Surgery).