Cancer Research U.K. invests $23.6 million in new major centers
Cancer Research U.K. has launched Major Centers in Oxford, Manchester and Cambridge, with each receiving $7.7 million to boost their work in personalized cancer medicine and early detection research.
The Cancer Research U.K. Oxford Center, the Cancer Research U.K. Manchester Center and the Cancer Research U.K. Cambridge Center are the first to gain Major Center status in the charity’s network of 15 research centers around the country.
They will act as vital research hubs for the Cancer Research U.K. center network, drawing together experience, encouraging collaborative research and bridging the gap between innovative laboratory work and benefits for patients.
The centers will keep patients at the heart of their work, turning innovation in the laboratory into tangible benefits for patients with cancer. This includes developing more personalized treatments based on growing knowledge of how cancer varies between patients.
The Cancer Research U.K. Oxford Center will harness research to make treatments less invasive and more tailored to individual patients. It will invest further to remain at the forefront of multidisciplinary research into cancer including funding for computer sciences to help boost knowledge bases and access to biological data.
The Cancer Research U.K. Manchester Center will transform cancer treatments by developing new techniques in personalized medicine. It will profile blood samples at diagnosis and throughout the patient’s journey looking for DNA and cancer cells that are released from the tumor. The information will then be used not only to pick the right drug for the right patient but also help personalize surgery and radiotherapy.
The Cancer Research U.K. Cambridge Center will bring together the diverse strengths of Cambridge to create novel practical applications that will improve the detection and treatment of cancer. The Center will develop programs in early detection and integrative cancer medicine with the aim of developing new therapeutic approaches.
Professor Gillies McKenna, director of the Cancer Research U.K. Oxford Center, said, “We look forward to making the most of our role as a Major Center and leader in cancer research in the U.K. The new initiative will bring researchers and clinicians together in sustainable networks with longer-term investment. This will allow us to combine the latest developments in radiotherapy and surgery with clinical trials of new drugs, providing the best evidence to guide cancer treatment.”