IMAGINE
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Integrating Medically Actionable Genomics INto Early-phase trials
IRAS ID
242738
Contact name
Patricia Roxburgh
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Greater Glasgow Health Board
Duration of Study in the UK
5 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
We are in an era of precision medicine where we aspire to make treatment decisions based on tumour molecular characteristics. In current clinical practice, molecularly guided therapies (e.g. cetuximab in KRAS wild-type colorectal cancer) have already improved patient outcomes.
Glasgow Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre (ECMC) has expertise in development of new molecularly targeted drugs and supports conduct of early-phase clinical trials in the Clinical Research Unit (CRU) in Beatson West of Scotland Cancer Centre (BWoSCC).
A central focus of the Glasgow Precision Oncology Laboratory (GPOL) at Wolfson Wohl Cancer Research Centre (WWCRC), is to use the most advanced sequencing techniques to match the right treatment to the right patient.
In current practice the molecular information directing treatment is based on alterations in the diagnostic specimen however evidence demonstrates that tumour at diagnosis is molecularly different than tumour following treatment. Consequently, tumour molecular characterisation should be established ideally from an up-to-date biopsy.
We therefore need to establish mechanisms to take tumour biopsies and process them for molecular profiling in a clinically useful timeframe (<6 weeks). We will also develop a process for interpretation of results and consideration of their clinical relevance. Blood samples will also be taken to develop non-invasive methods of tumour profiling. Additionally the molecular profiles generated will form a translational research repository to study biomarkers of response and resistance.
The IMAGINE study is a feasibility study that will bring together Glasgow's expertise in development of new cancer treatments and DNA sequencing. The study will recruit 200 patients over 5 years and allow an in depth analysis of tumours from BWoSCC patients by GPOL. The initial aim is that a pathway is developed that allows molecular profile data to be available quickly enough that it could influence the choice of the most appropriate experimental anti-cancer treatment.
REC name
East of Scotland Research Ethics Service REC 1
REC reference
19/ES/0021
Date of REC Opinion
27 Mar 2019
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion