Major boost for Cancer research
06 Oct 2008, PR 204/08
King’s is a big winner in a £50 million funding round, announced at the National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Cancer Conference, in a nationwide initiative that will see the development and introduction of the latest imaging technologies to help advances in basic and clinical cancer research.
Cancer Research UK press release
Cancer Research UK and the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) are leading on this exciting new strategic initiative that will establish the UK as a world leader in cancer imaging research. Cancer Research UK will invest up to £30 million and the EPSRC will contribute £15 million towards the initiative.
In addition, the Medical Research Council (MRC) will invest £3 million and at least £1.3 million will come from the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) to help improve the detection, diagnosis and treatment of cancer.
An international panel of experts have awarded up to £2 million a year to establish four large cancer imaging centres – Imperial College London, The Institute of Cancer Research, a joint centre between King’s College London and University College London and the University of Oxford. They will serve as focal points of world-class research using a variety of imaging techniques, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and PET (Positron Emission Tomography).
Professor Tony Ng, Richard Dimbleby Chair of Cancer Research, and Professor Philip Blower, Professor of Imaging Chemistry, who are both joint lead investigators at the King's College London and University College London cancer imaging centre, said: ‘We’re delighted to have been awarded this grant to further our research in cancer imaging. One of the main objectives of our cancer imaging centre is to develop and provide a comprehensive range of imaging technologies which, when combined with molecular and genetic information, will begin to accurately characterize individual patients for the ultimate goal of personalized therapy.’
Professor Blower adds: 'We see this award as a vindication of the multidisciplinary approach we have taken in combining a variety of basic and clinical sciences in our Divisional structures.'
Experts at the centres will develop new imaging techniques and uses for existing advanced imaging technologies, including imaging equipment that allow scientists to watch cells in action by tracing radioactive markers injected into the patient’s body. These techniques will enable doctors to see therapies at work, identifying earlier which treatments work best for individual patients.
Some scanning techniques can provide whole-body images so clinicians can see where cancers have spread and decide how useful surgery will be, or if radiotherapy and drugs will be more effective.Traditional imaging techniques, such as X-ray, CT and ultrasound, will also be developed and refined at the new centres.
Professor Herbie Newell, Director of translational research at Cancer Research UK, said: ‘Imaging is an invaluable tool in the fight against cancer. Being able to see what’s happening inside patients is vitally important in understanding how treatments are currently working and the best ways to improve them.’
Discoveries made through the initiative will be protected by Cancer Research Technology (CRT) – the business arm of Cancer Research UK. A CRT business manager will be assigned to each centre or programme to work with the pharmaceutical industry, establishing the best commercial model to ensure new discoveries become available to cancer patients.
Notes to editors
King’s College London
King’s College London is one of the top 25 universities in the world (Times Higher 2007) and the fourth oldest in England. A research-led university based in the heart of London, King’s has 19,700 students from more than 150 countries, and 5,400 employees. King’s has an outstanding reputation for providing world-class teaching and cutting-edge research. The College is in the top group of UK universities for research earnings and has an overall annual income of approximately £450 million. An investment of £500 million has been made in the redevelopment of its estate.
King’s has a particularly distinguished reputation in the humanities, law, social sciences, the health sciences, natural sciences and engineering, and has played a major role in many of the advances that have shaped modern life, such as the discovery of the structure of DNA. It is the largest centre for the education of healthcare professionals in Europe and is home to five Medical Research Council Centres – a total unsurpassed by any other university.
King's College London and Guy’s and St Thomas, King's College Hospital and South London and Maudsley NHS Foundation Trusts are working together to create a world-leading Academic Health Sciences Centre (AHSC). Our AHSC brings together an unrivalled range and depth of clinical and research expertise, spanning both physical and mental health. Our combined strengths will drive improvements in care for patients, allowing them to benefit from breakthroughs in medical science and receive leading edge treatment at the earliest possible opportunity. For more information, visit www.londonsahsc.org
Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC)
The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC) is the UK's main agency for funding research in engineering and the physical sciences. The EPSRC invests around £740 million a year in research and postgraduate training, to help the nation handle the next generation of technological change. The areas covered range from information technology to structural engineering, and mathematics to materials science. This research forms the basis for future economic development in the UK and improvements for everyone’s health, lifestyle and culture. EPSRC also actively promotes public awareness of science and engineering. Further information about EPSRC can be found at www.epsrc.ac.uk. EPSRC works alongside other Research Councils with responsibility for other areas of research. The Research Councils work collectively on issues of common concern via Research Councils UK.
Medical Research Council (MRC)
The Medical Research Council supports the best scientific research to improve human health. Its work ranges from molecular level science to public health medicine and has led to pioneering discoveries in our understanding of the human body and the diseases which affect us all. www.mrc.ac.uk
National Institute for Health Research (NIHR)
The National Institute for Health Research provides the framework through which the research staff and research infrastructure of the NHS in England is positioned, maintained and managed as a national research facility. The NIHR provides the NHS with the support and infrastructure it needs to conduct first-class research funded by the Government and its partners alongside high-quality patient care, education and training. Its aim is to support outstanding individuals (both leaders and collaborators), working in world class facilities (both NHS and university), conducting leading edge research focused on the needs of patients. http://www.nihr.ac.uk/
Cancer Research UK
Together with its partners and supporters, Cancer Research UK's vision is to beat cancer. Cancer Research UK carries out world-class research to improve understanding of the disease and find out how to prevent, diagnose and treat different kinds of cancer. Cancer Research UK ensures that its findings are used to improve the lives of all cancer patients. Cancer Research UK helps people to understand cancer, the progress that is being made and the choices each person can make. Cancer Research UK works in partnership with others to achieve the greatest impact in the global fight against cancer. For further information about Cancer Research UK's work or to find out how to support the charity, please call 020 7121 6699 or visit www.cancerresearchuk.org.
NCRI Cancer Conference
The National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) Cancer Conference is the UK’s premier forum for disseminating advances across all aspects of cancer research.
NCRI
The National Cancer Research Institute (NCRI) was established in April 2001. It is a UK-wide partnership between the government, charity and industry which promotes co-operation in cancer research among the 21 member organisations for the benefit of patients, the public and the scientific community. www.ncri.org.uk
Further information
Kate Moore, Public Relations Officer (Health Schools)
Public Relations Department
Email:
kate.moore@kcl.ac.uk
Tel: 020 7848 4334