A study to assess the immune system in prostate cancer
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A study to assess the status and function of the immune system in patients with Prostate cancer.
IRAS ID
246167
Contact name
Masood A Khan
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
3 years, 11 months, 28 days
Research summary
Prostate cancer is the most common cancer among men in the UK. A clinical suspicion of prostate cancer is often raised by an elevated Prostate Specific Antigen (PSA) readout from a blood test or an abnormal feeling Digital Rectal Examination (DRE) which is common.
The two known techniques for obtaining a prostate biopsy are the Transrectal Ultrasound-guided Prostate Biopsy(TRUS biopsy) and the Transperineal Template-guided Prostate Biopsy (TP biopsy). We will aim to recruit patients undergoing either of these types of biopsies.
The immune system is important for protecting against infectious diseases and cancer and although a substantial body of evidence indicates that the immune system is altered due to the presence of tumours and factors that are derived therefrom, it is not known which aspects of the immune system will be able to identify patients with cancer and those that will progress.
We hypothesise that the status and function of the immune system of patients with high risk of progressing will be different from that of patients with benign tumours,tumour-free patients and patients at low risk of progressing.
Blood samples will be collected from up to 650 patients who undergo either of the two biopsy methods mentioned above. On obtaining the blood sample, the researchers at The John van Geest Cancer Research Centre will process the sample and isolate immune cell subsets for assessment using flow cytometry(a technique that uses fluorescent dye labelled antibodies to identify and quantify different immune cells). Changes in gene expression will be assessed by measuring ribonucleic acid (RNA) using the NanoString platform technology. The Natural Killer (NK) cells will be assessed for their ability to be stimulated and kill prostate cancer target cells. Studies to assess another group of cells called antigen specific T cells that interact with the chemical markers on cancer cells will also be performed.REC name
West Midlands - Black Country Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
18/WM/0377
Date of REC Opinion
29 Nov 2018
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion