Cambridge

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Overview

Summary

The Cambridge ECMC aims to develop molecular prognostic and diagnostic tests to aid treatment decisions. The Centre focuses on genetic predisposition to cancer and the identification of high risk groups. This is being achieved by building on local strengths in genomics, pharmacogenetics, molecular pathology, molecular imaging, clinical informatics and computational biology.

The overall aim of the Cambridge ECMC is to deliver personliased cancer medicine as the means to better achieve cancer control as the means to better achieve cancer control. This personalistion of cancer medicine used the detailed characterisations of both the neoplasm and of the patient afflicated by it to improve screening, diagnosis, trageted treatment, and treatment monitoring.

Cancer control will be ultimately achieved through prevention, through early diagnosis, through better use of currently available treatments, and through the development of new better targeted therapeutics. The Cambridge ECMC provide support related to each of these areas.

As of 2017-2022 quinquennium, the Cambridge ECMC is also a member of the Paediatric Network.

In particular, the Cambridge ECMC will provide infrastructure support for 6 broad research areas:

Early-phase clinical trials and experimental therapeutics
Tumour monitoring (advanced cancer imaging)
Tumour monitoring (liquid biopsy, cf DNA)
Predictive biomarkers
Translational research in late-phase trials
Screening and intervention in high-risk groups

The Cambridge ECMC will focus on three strategic objectives:

Translating biological discoveries into effective new cancer therapies
Implement new devices and biomarkers capable of detecting cancer early and monitoring cancer progression and treatment response
Promotion of patient and public involvement in experimental cancer medicine

Organisations affiliated with the Cambridge ECMC:

Contact the Centre Manager:

Emma Cutting

evc26@cam.ac.uk
Tel: 01223 348391

Address

Cambridge Cancer Trials Centre
Ward S4
Addenbrooke’s Hospital
Cambridge Biomedical Campus
Hills Road
Cambridge CB2 0QQ
Tel: 01223 216083

Team Members

Professor Duncan Jodrell

Centre Lead

duncan.jodrell@cruk.cam.ac.uk

+44 (0) 122 376 9750

Programme Manager: evc26@cam.ac.uk

Professor Jodrell leads both the Cambridge ECMC and the Cambridge Cancer Trials Centre (CCTC), delivering impactful clinical research across all areas of cancer treatment, imaging and early detection. His personal research focus, as a Senior Group Leader in the CRUK Cambridge Institute, endeavours to integrate and optimise the pre-clinical development and science-led clinical application of novel therapies and novel therapeutic combinations, including first into man (Phase I) and associated studies. His research goal is to identify successful, new therapeutic approaches for the treatment of patients with cancer with much of his effort now focusing on pancreatic cancer. He is also the co-lead of the CRUK Cambridge Centre Pancreatic Cancer Programme.

Operational Team

Lesley Bennett

R&D Contact

lesley.bennett1@addenbrookes.nhs.uk

Linda Jones

Senior Research Sister

linda.jones@addenbrookes.nhs.uk

+44 (0) 122 323 6422

Dr Ferdia Gallagher

Lead Radiologist

fag1000@cam.ac.uk

+ 44 (0) 122 374 6438

Masuma Harrison

Director of Operations (CCTC)

Masuma.harrison@addenbrookes.nhs.uk

Rebecca Brais

Consultant Histopathologist

rebecca.brais@addenbrookes.nhs.uk

Richard Houghton

PKB Core Facility Manager

richard.houghton@cruk.cam.ac.uk

Anita Chhabra

Lead Pharmacist

anita.chhabra@addenbrookes.nhs.uk

Beverley Haynes

Biobank Contact

beverley.haynes@addenbrookes.nhs.uk

+44 (0) 122 325 6689

Case Study

MISSION: Molecular Imaging and Spectroscopy with Stable Isotopes in ONcology study

This innovative technology has been translated from pre-clinical research undertaken in the Department of Biochemistry and CRUK Cambridge Institute. This work has demonstrated a number of approaches for imaging early metabolic changes following therapy and the results have informed the clinical study design. The translation to clinical use has been performed in conjunction with GE Healthcare who have designed and constructed the hardware used for this work. The Clinical Trials Unit has provided support for the development of the trial protocols and the CECMC has supported the development of this research.

MISSION is an umbrella study, which has created the platform for this new technology to image tumour metabolism, termed hyperpolarised carbon-13 MRI. Hyperpolarised pyruvate is rapidly converted into lactate within tumours and imaging the spatial distribution of this metabolism has a number of potential applications for cancer diagnosis and therapy monitoring. These studies have been enabled by the creation of the first pharmacy facility in Europe producing the sterile consumables required. Consequently, Cambridge has undertaken the first patient study across Europe. A series of trials are planned which will explore the use of this technology across a range of cancers.

Over 100 patients will be imaged across all the cancer subtypes. Initial studies will incorporate standard-of-care treatment but future studies will also incorporate novel targeted therapies. Normal volunteers will be imaged for control data. The initial work has shown the feasibility of the technique to image metabolism in both patients and healthy volunteers.

Over the next 2 years we will extend the portfolio of studies to include imaging of fumarate metabolism, as well as pyruvate. Cambridge-based pre-clinical research has shown that the metabolism of hyperpolarised carbon-13 labelled fumarate to malate is a sensitive measure of early necrosis. We will undertake this as a first-in-man study to evaluate fumarate as an imaging biomarker of necrosis in tumours.

Bristi Basu, James Brenton, Kevin Brindle, Carlos Caldas, Duncan Jodrell, Ferdia Gallagher, Ian Wilkinson

Treatment Modalities

Cytotoxic therapeutics

Immunotherapy

Molecular Targeted Therapies

Radiotherapy

Facilities/Translational Research

Phase 1 Capability

Phase 1 population: Both solid tumours and haematology, adult
Phase 1 Mechanisms: Taxanes, TKI inhibitors, Kudos compound
First-in-Man studies
Centre specific translational research interest: Molecular imaging, clinical genomics
Multi-centre Phase 1 studies

Technology/equipment available within the centre

3T MRI facility
Genomics and bioinformatics
Molecular pathology
Equipment for isolation of circulating tumour cells

Other Facilities

Wellcome Trust CRF
Cambridge Breast Cancer Research Unit
Cambridge Cancer Clinical Trials Centre

Sample collection

Tissue Banking Activity: Addenbrooke's Tissue Bank
Centre contact responsible for sample collection: Professor Peter Collins

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Operational Team