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Issue 28 Autumn 2013
For supporters of The Institute of Cancer Research
100 years of drug discovery
The importance of being imaged
How you can support the ICR
Our mission is
to make the
discoveries that
defeat cancer.
Written and produced by ICR Communications and the Development Office
Design by Jeff Eden 07976 910352
© September 2013. The Institute of Cancer Research. All rights reserved.
Contact us:
The Institute of Cancer Research
123 Old Brompton Road, London SW7 3RP
T 020 7153 5387
E [email protected]
W www.icr.ac.uk
www.facebook.com/theinstituteofcancerresearch
@icrnews
The Institute of Cancer Research: Royal Cancer Hospital. Registered Office:
123 Old Brompton Road, London SW7 3RP. A Charity, Not for Profit. Company Limited by Guarantee.
Registered in England No. 534147. VAT Registration No. 849 0581 02.
3
Editorial
As Director of Development at the ICR, people often ask
me what I like most about my job. No matter who asks my
answer is always the same: I enjoy bringing together people
– supporters and scientists – who care about research and
who can collectively make a difference to patients’ lives.
Our work is truly inspirational. No other academic research
institute has discovered and developed as many anti-cancer
drugs. And in cancer wards around the world, patients are
being successfully treated thanks to research that took
place at the ICR.
But it’s also thanks to you, our donors and supporters, that
our work continues to push the boundaries of scientific
research. Whether you support us through a trust, via
Direct Debit, by taking part in a sporting or social event,
or in another way, you are helping us make the discoveries
that defeat cancer.
I hope you enjoy reading your copy of Search.
Lara Jukes
Director of Development
The Institute of Cancer Research, London
04Research news
round-up
06New faces
08Spotlight: drug
discovery
12 Research briefing:
the importance
of imaging
14Profile Clare Isacke:
Academic Dean
15Profile Jin Lin:
PhD student
16 Getting involved
17 Regular giving
18 Supporter profile
19 Fundraising successes
4
RESEARCH NEWS ROUND-UP
Experimental breast cancer
drugs could also treat lung cancer
© JMARCHN, CREATIVE COMMONS BY3.0
Experimental drugs developed for breast
and ovarian cancers could also be used
to treat the most common type of lung
cancer, scientists at The Institute of
Cancer Research (ICR) have discovered.
The study showed how experimental
drugs called PARP inhibitors could be used
to treat non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).
Half of all NSCLC tumours have a fault
that blocks one of the ways that cells repair
mistakes in their DNA. Adding PARP inhibitors
to these lung cancer cells damages a second
DNA damage repair system. This double
blow kills lung cancer cells, but leaves
healthy cells unscathed.
Prostate cancer patients see life
expectancy double
Men with advanced prostate cancer
have seen their life expectancy more than
double in a decade – from less than a year
and a half to almost four years.
The research, conducted by the ICR and
The Royal Marsden, found the introduction of
a range of new drugs has had such an impact
that the system doctors use to predict how
long patients will live now needs to be revised.
Professor Johann de Bono, Professor of
Experimental Cancer Medicine at the ICR and
Honorary Consultant in Medical Oncology at
The Royal Marsden, said: “This highlights the
remarkable benefits we are seeing from new
treatments for men with advanced prostate
cancer. Put simply, men are living for much
longer with incurable disease than they did
a few years ago.”
RESEARCH NEWS ROUND-UP
Measles virus used to give cancer
‘quadruple whammy’
An innovative new combination treatment
that uses the measles virus to target
cancer cells could significantly improve
treatment for bowel cancer and head and
neck cancers.
ICR researchers found that exposing
cancer cells to a genetically modified measles
virus, in conjunction with radioactive iodide,
radiotherapy and a gene-targeting drug, was
much more effective than using any of the
treatments separately.
Study leader Professor Kevin Harrington,
Joint Head of the Division of Radiotherapy
and Imaging at the ICR, said: “Each of the
four treatments in this study can work on
their own, but using them together gives
cancer a quadruple whammy.”
New breast cancer test will help women
avoid unnecessary chemotherapy
A new genetic test for breast cancer will
help doctors to determine which women
need chemotherapy, according to a team
at the ICR and The Royal Marsden.
Chemotherapy is often used after surgery
to stop cancer coming back, but it has major
side-effects and isn’t always needed.
The new test, called PAM50, can help
predict who needs chemotherapy and who
will recover without it. Unlike current tests,
it can be performed locally rather than
having to send samples to the US.
For more information on these stories and other ICR research news, visit icr.ac.uk/press
5
6
NEW FACES: LUKE JOHNSON
Luke Johnson
takes the helm
Luke Johnson, one of the UK’s most successful
entrepreneurs and former Chairman of Channel 4,
has taken over as Chairman of the ICR.
Luke Johnson, famous in particular for
building up restaurant chains Pizza Express,
Strada and Giraffe, will now direct his
trademark dynamism and business acumen to
building on the ICR’s successes and helping
cement our position on the world stage.
He said: “I am thrilled to be taking up this
position at one of the world’s most influential
cancer research institutes, with such an
impressive track record of achievement. I
was attracted by the ICR’s ethos of research
for patient benefit, and by its astonishing
record of success in cancer genetics and
new targeted therapeutics. I hope to use
my business experience to help maximise
the ICR’s opportunities for collaboration and
innovation, and to build its brand as a worldleading research institution.”
At Channel 4, he took over one of
Britain’s leading media organisations and led
it to record ratings and numerous awards
successes, while as Chairman of the Royal
Society of Arts, he championed the formation
of a network of academies.
Professor Alan Ashworth, Chief Executive
of the ICR, is delighted to welcome Johnson
to his new position: “This a pivotal time for
cancer research, as technological advances put
us on the brink of a new era of personalised
medicine. The ICR has plans to deliver a worldleading and ambitious new approach to cancer
treatment driven by our cutting-edge research,
and Luke has the credentials to help us realise
those ambitions.”
Luke Johnson was attracted by
the ICR’s strong track record
NEW FACES: PROFESSOR UWE OELFKE
7
Specialist tumour
tracker joins us
Professor Uwe Oelfke, the ICR’s latest high-profile scientific recruit,
is a specialist at targeting radiation at tumours with pinpoint accuracy
– with beams even adjusted during the process of treating patients.
The new head of the ICR’s and The Royal
Marsden’s Joint Department of Physics has
come over from Germany to lead pioneering
work in using imaging and dose delivery
technologies to improve the quality and
effectiveness of radiotherapy.
His work in three-dimensional tumour
tracking has reached such accuracy that it
can take into account movements of a tumour
induced by a patient breathing. This allows
precise imaging of the boundaries of a tumour
and where normal tissue begins.
The department’s research should allow
radiation to be delivered ever more accurately
to tumours while minimising damage to healthy
tissue. “Consequently radiotherapy patients
will experience fewer side-effects and have
a better quality of life,” he explained.
Professor Oelfke is inspired by the
interdisciplinary approach to cancer research
offered by the ICR and The Royal Marsden:
“Without doubt, the ICR and The Royal Marsden
offer one of the few places in the world which
unite pure research with clinical expertise.
One of my future interests is to combine the
ICR’s unique drug development programme
with radiotherapy to find the best treatments
for cancer patients.”
Also joining the department is Dr Simeon
Professor Uwe Oelfke specialises in
three-dimensional imaging of tumours
Nill, who has worked with Professor Oelfke
for the past 15 years, as the new head of
translational radiotherapy physics. Professor
Oelfke said: “I am delighted Dr Nill could join
me at the ICR. He is extremely efficient, and
can translate technologies into the clinic faster
than anyone else I know of. He is also a gifted
mentor – an enthusiastic supervisor of both
students and Post Docs.”
8
SPOTLIGHT: DRUG DISCOVERY
The ICR discovers and develops more new cancer drugs than any
other academic centre in the world. Here, we trace cancer drug
treatment from its origins in World War I, and over the page,
introduce you to one of our most exciting new treatments.
100 years of drug
The first chemotherapy drug, melphalan, was
an adapted version of World War I mustard
gas. Since then the process of drug discovery
and development has become far more
sophisticated, with new style medicines
now targeted against specific molecular
traits of tumours. At a recent summer
1940s
Madagascar Periwinkle
is found to suppress
white blood cell count
in leukaemia patients.
World War II soldiers stationed in
the Philippines use Madagascar
Periwinkle as an alternative
to insulin during shortages.
American and Canadian
researchers go on to discover its
cancer therapeutic properties.
1950s
Melphalan, made from
mustard gas used in WWI,
is used to treat myeloma
and ovarian cancer.
It is very toxic, but does cure
some patients and extends life.
It is still used to treat some
patients today.
event of the ICR’s Discovery Club, Chief
Executive Professor Alan Ashworth gave a
potted history of drug discovery and in the
appropriate setting of the Chelsea Physic
Garden explained the role of medicinal
plants in early drug development. Here are
some of the highlights:
1970s
Carboplatin, a
platinum-based
compound which
prevents cancer cells
from multiplying, is
developed at the
ICR to treat lung,
ovarian and head and
neck cancers.
The ICR, together with
The Royal Marsden and
Johnson Matthey plc,
receive the Queen’s
Award for Technological
Achievement in 1991.
Carboplatin is still used
today to treat patients.
SPOTLIGHT: DRUG DISCOVERY
9
discovery
1998
Raltitrexed, developed
at the ICR in the 1980s,
is approved to treat
colorectal cancer.
The drug stops tumour cells
from growing by blocking
their ability to make DNA.
2002
Professor Alan Ashworth explains
the history of drug discovery to
Discovery Club members
ICR scientists discover
BRAF gene mutations can
cause the most dangerous
form of skin cancer,
malignant melanoma.
Vemurafinib, a drug which
targets this gene, is offered
on the NHS in 2012. It is the
first personalised treatment
for advanced melanoma.
2011
Abiraterone, a
revolutionary hormone
therapy for prostate
cancer discovered at
the ICR, is approved
in the US and Europe.
A large-scale international trial
was stopped early to allow
those on the placebo arm to
be offered the drug.
World War I soldiers
drill in their gas masks
2013
AUY-922, a pioneering
treatment for resistant
breast and lung cancers,
shows great promise in
clinical trials.
It works by targeting and
inactivating a crucial molecule
called HSP90, which cancer
cells are dependent on for
growth. (See next page).
10
SPOTLIGHT: DRUG DISCOVERY
Bringing down
cancer’s defences
One of cancer’s cruellest traits is its ability to become resistant
to treatment. But leading ICR scientists are giving fresh hope to
patients after finding a way to strip tumours of their defences –
making them sensitive to treatment once again.
It’s an all-too-familiar story. Initially, a patient’s
cancer appears to be responding to treatment,
only to become resistant and start growing
once more. Now, a team at the ICR is meeting
one of the biggest challenges in cancer
research, after discovering a new class of
drugs that can strip tumours of their defences
against treatments. The drugs, known as
HSP90 inhibitors, offer patients the possibility
of sustained responses – and potentially many
months of extra life.
The new drugs are the latest example of
how the ICR joins up cutting-edge science
with the best clinical research to take new
treatments to patients as quickly as possible.
Researchers are now assessing HSP90
inhibitors in clinical trials, with early tests
prompting excitement that they can be
SPOTLIGHT: DRUG DISCOVERY
11
“I’m very excited by the early results these drugs are having
in clinical trials, and believe they offer patients real hope that
their cancers can be kept at bay for far longer, giving them
more quality time with their loved ones.”
PROFESSOR PAUL WORKMAN, ICR Deputy Chief Executive
effective in many types of cancer, including
breast, lung and prostate.
The drugs work by blocking the activity
of ‘heat shock protein’ (HSP90) molecules,
which are essential for the stability of many
cancer-causing proteins, including those
that lead to drug resistance.
Professor Workman explains: “Our new drugs
appear to be effective at tackling drug resistance
because they attack tumours in multiple ways
at once – disabling several different defences
that cancer cells use against today’s treatments.
I’m very excited by the early results these drugs
are having in clinical trials, and believe they offer
patients real hope that their cancers can be kept
at bay for far longer, giving them more quality
time with their loved ones. By extending lives of
all cancer patients as much as possible we are
working towards a cure.”
Members of The Discovery Club help
drive forward the ICR’s scientific strategy
by making a philanthropic donation to
support our Tumour Profiling Unit, Clinician
Scientist Fellowships and the Centre for
Cancer Imaging.
Our aim is to raise at least £1m for each
project over the next three years.
To join The Discovery Club and support these
initiatives, please contact the Development
Office: email [email protected]
or phone 020 7153 5315.
300 patients each year undergo
clinical trials under the care of the
ICR and The Royal Marsden.
Our Drug Development Unit is
one of the biggest trial centres in the world.
Six molecularly targeted drugs
discovered by the ICR have
reached clinical trial in our Drug
Development Unit since 2005.
It used to take at least 20 years to
discover and develop a new drug.
It only took 11 years for the
approval of vemurafenib following
the initial discovery of the B-RAF
oncogene by the ICR. We aim to
reduce discovery time to 3-5 years.
12
Research briefing
The importance
of being imaged
Penn State CC BY-NC 2.0
Although drugs tend to grab the headlines in cancer stories,
imaging plays a vital role in cancer research, diagnosis and indeed
treatment. From massive MRI machines to portable ultrasound
units, a wide variety of imaging technologies are crucial to the
life-saving work of the modern cancer specialist.
Imaging technologies enable researchers
to better understand how cancer develops
and help doctors to make diagnoses without
invasive surgery, and to track the progress
of cancer before, after and during treatment.
Imaging can even be used to guide treatment
in real time – allowing precise targeting of a
radiotherapy beam or surgeon’s scalpel – and
to demonstrate the effects of cancer drugs.
The ICR is at the cutting-edge of cancer
imaging, pioneering techniques such as
3D organ motion tracking and whole-body
imaging. Physical biopsies can only show a
snapshot of a tumour and are invasive surgical
procedures, whereas advanced imaging
can provide real-time pictures and analysis
of a tumour, without causing the patient
discomfort. But to take its imaging research
to the next level, the ICR needs to bring its
imaging scientists together in a state-of-theart building, and to further enhance its worldclass capability in imaging. Advances in imaging
technologies can improve how we monitor
and develop drugs, and can also reduce the
need for invasive procedures such as repeated
biopsies. That’s why we are building a cutting-
Research briefing
13
Cancer imaging: key facts
MRI machines generate magnetic
fields 20-30,000 times greater than
the earth’s magnetic field.
The CCI will house 130 researchers
who will work on the latest imaging
instruments – and collaborate with
researchers across the ICR.
It will house new state-of-the-art
instrumentation including 3D X-ray
and high-tech PET scanners.
The CCI will enhance and accelerate
the discovery and development of
new cancer treatments.
edge imaging research facility – the new
Centre for Cancer Imaging (CCI).
Our Deputy Chief Executive, Professor Paul
Workman, explains: “Enhancing our world-class
imaging is essential, firstly to help understand
how cancer develops in the whole organism,
and secondly to help us to discover and
develop better therapies for patients.”
David Collins is Principal Clinical Scientist
in the MRI team at the ICR and The Royal
Marsden, and works on developing advanced
MRI techniques for both the lab and the clinic.
He says: “The new CCI will make an enormous
difference to our work. Having everything we
need under one roof will greatly accelerate the
translational aspect of our work, delivering real
benefits to patients much sooner.”
When developing new treatments for
cancer, imaging is essential to understanding
World Bank Photo Collection CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Advanced imaging can visualise how
tumours are responding to treatment
or to help guide treatment tools.
what effects they have and how they work.
Enhancing our imaging science will accelerate
this progress. Our world-class, purpose-built
facility will attract talented new researchers,
enabling us not only to research the latest and
most sophisticated imaging techniques, but
also to speed up the development of the next
generation of cancer drugs.
You could help to bring the next generation
of cancer treatments to patients sooner
by supporting the Centre for Cancer
Imaging. If you or your organisation is
interested in helping support the CCI,
please contact the Development Office:
email [email protected] or
phone 020 7153 5315.
14
Profile: Professor Clare Isacke
A leading researcher with an
infectious enthusiasm for science
Inspiring
cancer
scientists
of the
future
Professor Clare Isacke has been a scientist
for over two decades and she has never
lost the thrill of looking down a microscope.
In her role as Academic Dean at the ICR
she is now using her enthusiasm to
inspire the next generation of cancer
research scientists.
“Stimulating the minds of our students,
encouraging them to ask the really hard
questions, and helping them find answers,
are essential for their development,” explains
Professor Isacke.
These are essential attributes that will help
develop the cancer scientists of tomorrow.
“If we can support these upcoming cancer
scientists now, they will have a flying start
in their research careers – crucial for the
development of new treatments for patients.”
CV
Name: Professor Clare Isacke
Joined the ICR: 2001
Specialist subject: Breast cancer and cancer metastasis
Greatest achievements: “I have been in
research for over two decades and I still wake
up every day excited about science. I have never
lost the thrill of looking down the microscope
– I think that is a pretty big achievement.”
In her own words: “Students at the ICR are
treated as valued members of staff – we realise
this is important in their future development.
I am excited to be involved in their journey.”
Professor Isacke began her career as a lecturer
at Imperial College London and has taught
undergraduate students as well as supervising
MD and PhD students.
“During my time in academia, I have
witnessed a dramatic and welcome
improvement in student training and
mentoring,” reflects Professor Isacke. “At
the ICR I continue to be impressed by the
quality of our students and of their science.
“In my role as Academic Dean, I will strive
to ensure that the ICR remains a premier
environment for the development of the next
generation of academics and clinicians, but
also an environment that nurtures students
to be courageous in their science and their
thinking and to be ambitious for the future
of cancer research.”
Profile: Jin Lin
15
For one PhD student, measuring tissue elasticity
provides another perspective about cancer
Imaging
to spot
stretchy
tumours
CV
Name: Jin Li
Joined the ICR: 2011
Research interest: MRI elastography
In her own words: “My research is
fascinating because there are so many
unanswered questions. When we find the
answers, they will have a real impact on
patient diagnosis and treatment planning.”
Jin Li is a third-year PhD student at the
ICR with an interest in one of the stranger
properties of tumours – their changing
stiffness as they spread out into
surrounding tissues.
Our PhD students work on cutting-edge
projects with the potential to deliver real benefits
for patients – and in this case measuring
tumour stiffness could help with cancer
diagnosis and predicting therapy outcome.
Whether a tumour is soft and stretchy,
or stiff and immobile, turns out to be an
important predictor of how likely it is to
invade surrounding tissues and spread.
“The mechanical properties of tissue can
tell us a lot about cancer,” Jin explains. “By
using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), we
can see how harmless mechanical vibrations
move through the body. This can give clues
about how invasive a tumour is, allowing more
personal treatment planning.”
The technique, known as MR elastography,
could prove beneficial in assessing patients
without the need to perform an invasive
biopsy. With MR elastography, the internal
organs, such as liver, prostate and even brain,
can be virtually palpated.
Jin explains: “For patients, undergoing a
biopsy can be extremely worrying and painful,
but by using this technique to image tumours,
I hope it will reduce the need for invasive
surgical procedures.”
You could help us train the cancer research
leaders of the future. If you or your
organisation is interested in helping support
a student, please contact the Development
Office: email [email protected] or
phone 020 7153 5315.
16
GETTING INVOLVED
Getting
involved
Support our ground-breaking research
by taking part in one of our exciting
fundraising events.
Carols from Chelsea |
Tuesday 3 December 2013
Held in Wren’s stunning chapel of the Royal
Hospital Chelsea, this wonderful carol service
is a must in anyone’s calendar.
London to Paris Cycle |
Several departure dates in 2014
Calling all keen cyclists! Ride 300 miles over
five days to finish at the iconic Eiffel Tower
– a classic team experience.
Three Cities | May & August 2014
Already completed London to Paris? Your
next challenge is this exciting cycle ride
through beautiful English countryside,
crossing the channel to the Dutch lowlands
via Amsterdam, then on to the historic
medieval centre of Brussels.
Virgin Money London Marathon |
Sunday 13 April 2014
Apply for one of our Golden Bond places or
join our team with your own ballot place.
BMW Berlin Marathon I
Sunday 28 September 2014*
Achieve your personal best on this fantastic
course in Berlin. Apply for one of our guaranteed
places or support us with your own ballot place.
*Date TBC by race organisers.
ICR SUPPORTERS JUBILANT
AFTER successfully finishing
the LONDON TO PARIS CYCLE
Sahara Desert Trek |
Several departure dates in 2014/15.
Be transported to another world with the
dramatic landscapes of the Sahara desert.
Other overseas trek destinations are available;
see icr.ac.uk for more details.
Do you have your own place in an event?
There are hundreds of running and sports
events that you can take part in around the
UK and abroad for the ICR or our Everyman
appeal. If you have your own place in any
event, get in touch to join our team.
Visit icr.ac.uk/events for more information
about any of our fundraising events, or phone
the events team on 020 7153 5307 or email
[email protected].
Download your free fundraising pack at
icr.ac.uk/events
Regular giving
17
Regular giving
is a great way to
support the ICR
Tragically, one in three of us will develop
cancer in our lifetime. And even if we are not
affected ourselves, almost all of us will be
moved by the pain and suffering cancer causes
to friends or loved ones. Our scientists and
clinicians are driven by the desire to ease this
suffering and are working every day in our labs
to make a real impact on cancer patients’ lives.
But cancer research takes time – it took
nearly two decades of dedicated work by ICR
scientists and researchers before the drug
abiraterone was licensed for use in the UK –
and requires significant financial investment.
That’s why regular giving via Direct Debit is
so important to us. It gives us the ability to
plan ahead and commit to long-term projects
knowing we have the support of our donors.
Giving by Direct Debit is safe and easy for
donors too. Once the gift is set, your donations
will leave your account automatically on your
preferred payment date. And under the Direct
Debit Guarantee you can amend or cancel your
gift at any time.
“I feel happy knowing that
I’m helping to defeat cancer.”
BEN ALLEN, ICR SUPPORTER
Ben Allen, an ICR supporter, said: “Deciding
to set up a regular donation to the ICR is one
of the best things I’ve ever done.
Every month, when the gift
leaves my account, I feel happy
knowing that I’m helping to
defeat cancer.”
Interested in setting up a regular
donation to help the ICR defeat cancer?
Visit icr.ac.uk/donate
18
MEET OUR SUPPORTERS
Hitting the
right notes to
defeat cancer
As a fan of traditional hymns,
ICR supporter Liz Vyvyan is
the perfect person to chair the
Carols from Chelsea service
organising committee. And in its
tenth year, she’s determined to
make this year’s event the most
successful ever.
“When a good friend asked me if I would be
interested in joining the Carols from Chelsea
organising committee, I said yes almost
immediately. Everyone knows someone who’s
had – or has – cancer, and I wanted to do
my bit to help, not knowing that in 2010 I too
would be diagnosed with cancer.
“I’ve been fortunate to have met many ICR
scientists, and every time I do, it reinforces
my reasons for getting involved. Professor
Alan Ashworth, the ICR’s Chief Executive,
speaks with such passion and I never fail to
be impressed by his work and that of his
fellow researchers.
“I became chair of the organising committee
earlier this year and I’m hoping that the Carols
from Chelsea event this December will be the
best yet. Our celebrity speakers are confirmed
Liz Vyvyan meets Professor
Alan Ashworth at recent
Discovery Club event
and we’ve chosen some traditional and
uplifting carols. I’m sure everyone will enjoy
the chance to mingle with friends and family
in the glorious chapel at The Royal Hospital,
Chelsea. This year we’re hoping to raise over
£100,000 which will take the total raised by
the committee to over £1million.”
Visit icr.ac.uk/events for more information
on any of our fundraising events.
FUNDRAISING SUCCESSES
19
BrainRunners raise
over £45,000 for
the ICR
Scott McIntosh led an enthusiastic team of
fundraisers, named the BrainRunners, through
a summer of successful fundraising events
for the ICR. The team raised over £45,000
for research led by the ICR’s Dr Chris Jones
into paediatric high-grade glioma – a type of
malignant brain tumour. The 50-strong team
of fundraisers took part in the Edinburgh
Marathon Running Festival, as well as
organising the BrainRunners Ball and their
own family fun run – Run it with a Bunnet!
Former Children’s Laureate, Julia Donaldson
MBE, kindly attended a special performance
day at Doonfoot Primary School, Ayr, singing
songs and reading stories from her awardwinning repertoire, including ‘The Gruffalo’.
Parents, teachers and pupils all helped to
raise funds for our research. The ICR would
like to extend thanks to all the BrainRunners
and everyone involved in these fantastic
fundraising events.
BRAINRUNNERS RAISE OVER
£45,000 FOR ICR RESEARCH
Julia Donaldson visits children
from Doonfoot Primary School
Freemasons’ Grand Charity funds
new genomics team leader
The Freemasons’ Grand Charity gifted £150,000
to fund a new genomics scientist within the ICR’s
Tumour Profiling Unit – a new initiative that will
change the way in which clinicians diagnose
and monitor cancer. The Tumour Profiling
Unit will enable the development of treatment
programmes tailored to the specific DNA
mutations driving a cancer at that point in time.
The Freemasons’ Grand Charity is a
longstanding donor to the ICR, previously
supporting our cutting-edge prostate cancer
research. The generosity of the Freemasons’
Grand Charity is essential for the recruitment
of a genomics manager to lead vital research
into genetic sequencing.
Laura Chapman, Chief Executive of
The Freemasons’ Grand Charity, said:
“Funding medical research is central to the
Grand Charity’s grant making and benefits
society as a whole. We are delighted that our
grant to the ICR is enabling the development
of personalised cancer treatment.”
www.icr.ac.uk