UReCa: Mechanisms of Therapy Resistance in Cancer

  • Research type

    Research Study

  • Full title

    Understanding the Mechanisms of Therapy Resistance in Cancer

  • IRAS ID

    321591

  • Contact name

    Sean H Lim

  • Contact email

    s.h.lim@soton.ac.uk

  • Sponsor organisation

    University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust (UHS)

  • Duration of Study in the UK

    5 years, 0 months, 1 days

  • Research summary

    Drug resistance to cancer therapy is a severe impediment to treatment and a contributor to the 166,000 cancer deaths that occur in the UK every year.
    The objective of this observational study is to understand the common mechanisms behind treatment resistance across different cancers and in doing so, potentially identifying novel drug targets and inform the design of novel therapeutic interventions. Where possible, we will also monitor changes to tumours during the course of treatment to identify how these treatment targets might change through disease progression.

    We propose undertaking a detailed analyses of tumours at a genomic, epigenomic, transcriptomic and phenotypic level, and in a longitudinal manner where possible. In parallel, information on treatment response and other clinical features will also be collected so that we can correlate the laboratory data to clinical information. We will collect samples from individuals undergoing a tissue biopsy as part of their routine clinical care.

    Upon study completion we will have a deeper and more granular understanding of how drug resistant tumours and their microenvironments evade our current cancer treatments, and how we can design novel therapeutics to exploit these newly elucidated mechanisms.

  • REC name

    North West - Preston Research Ethics Committee

  • REC reference

    23/NW/0265

  • Date of REC Opinion

    4 Oct 2023

  • REC opinion

    Further Information Favourable Opinion