Nottingham researchers are working towards a groundbreaking vaccine for the most deadly form of brain tumour.
Glioblastoma multiforme, or GBM, kills more people than the other 120 types of brain tumour put together, resulting in up to 5,000 deaths in the UK each year.
Patients have an average survival time of around 14 months, even with intensive chemotherapy.
So far, there is no successful treatment for the disease but scientists at the John van Geest Centre in Nottingham are starting a study which could lead to a vaccine.
The centre, on Nottingham Trent University’s Clifton Campus, is already involved in work which is close to a breast cancer vaccine.
The new study is being paid for with £95,000 from the Headcase Cancer Trust, the only charity dedicating to finding a cure for GBM.
This is partly because the charity’s founder, Colin Spiers, lost his wife, Becky, to GBM in 2010. The couple met each other while studying at Nottingham Trent University.
We will see a major breakthrough
Mr Spiers, said: “Personally, I’m delighted to be able to put something back into the ou56 zny university, where Becky and I studied.
“The cancer researchers, or ‘wizards’ as we call them, are providing novel approaches, cutting edge research and a collaborative strategy.
“We strongly believe that the development of immunotherapies will see a major breakthrough in the treatment of this horrendous disease.”
Dr Stephanie McArdle from the centre said: “Vaccine-based immunotherapies offer an approach for the treatment of cancer.
“They are relatively non-toxic and have the potential to induce immunological memory which could provide long-term protection against disease recurrence.
“We want to develop a vaccine, which alone, or in conjunction with other treatments, can treat GBM effectively.”
Killing cancer: How the vaccine will be developed
- The scientists will be focussing their attention on developing protective immune response against tumour molecules, such as HAGE and TrP2, which are present in the cancer of GBM patients
- These molecules will then be assessed for their ability to generate strong anti-GBM tumour immunity as well as their ability to reduce and cure established tumours
- Researchers will then determine whether blood from patients contain HAGE or TrP2 specific immune cells that are capable of recognising the tumours; this will provide insight into how effective the treatment will be upon a patient
- Researchers aim to clinically trial the treatment if analysis proves successful
The Brain Tumour Research Centre of Excellence at the University of Portsmouth is also involved in the study in partnership with the John van Geest team.
Professor Geoff Pilkington, who directs the Portsmouth centre, said: “We hope that the united strengths of the two teams will provide a novel approach which may bring renewed hope for those suffering from GBM.”
