IMAGINE
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Determining the immunogenicity, immune microenvironment and new molecular targets for immunotherapy of virus-associated cancers versus non-virus-associated cancers
IRAS ID
318279
Contact name
Adel Samson
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Head of Research Regulatory Compliance, The Secretariat, University of Leeds
Duration of Study in the UK
10 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Stimulating the body’s immune system to fight cancer has proven to have incomparable advantages over traditional chemotherapy. These immunotherapies are effective in a range of different cancers, however, there is an ongoing need for a better understanding of resistance to immunotherapies and to identify new potential targets for the treatments.
The Translational Cancer Immunotherapy Group led by Dr Adel Samson and supervised by Dr Emma West focuses on understanding the immune environment inside cancers and how this contributes to tumour progression and immune resistance. By studying the immune environment in cancers, we can better understand the mechanisms of cancer immunotherapy, identify novel immune-based treatment approaches and optimise the efficacy and delivery of immunotherapies to tumours.
Some cancers are directly caused by virus infections, including those of the liver, head and neck, anus and cervix. For these cancers, the ongoing virus infection continues to shape the immune environment in the cancer and can affect the response to immunotherapies. The aim of this project is to determine how these viruses shape the immune environment thereby influencing the outcomes to immunotherapies and to find new targets for immunotherapies in virus-associated cancers versus non-virus-associated cancers. This may lead to the design and implementation of new immunotherapies for the treatment of cancer.
This research is funded by a CRUK peer-reviewed grant and is intended for at least the next 10 years. The participants who consent to take part in the study will be recruited from those who visit St James’s Hospital for their routine appointments. They will be approached and informed about the purpose of the research by their treating oncology team. The participants’ involvement will only consist of donation of their tissue (tumour and adjacent normal tissue) and/or blood samples which will be used for research analysis by the Translational Cancer Immunotherapy Group.
REC name
London - Dulwich Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
23/PR/0774
Date of REC Opinion
13 Oct 2023
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion