Bilberries and blueberries are rich in anthocyanins with putative cancer chemopreventive properties

Translational clinical research within the Department of Cancer Studies and Molecular Medicine is supported by diverse grant support and the creation of an active clinical trials infrastructure (Thomas) focussing predominantly on phase I/II studies of novel agents. This is complemented by the Leicestershire, Northamptonshire and Rutland National Cancer Research Network (Nicholson) offices also being at the Leicester Royal Infirmary.  The Centre is both a commercial and Cancer Research UK Phase 1 Clinical Trials Centre and also provides infrastructure for agents developed in-house, particularly from the chemoprevention programme, and supports the laboratory groups with patient samples for translational research. 

ClinaciX Radiotherapy Machine

Academic imaging support is also available (Morgan).  The group has strong links with many of the clinical departments in the University Hospital of Leicester including medical and clinical oncology, haematology, immunology, urological, skin, hepato-biliary, colorectal and lung cancers. 

Current research being explored in the Translation Clinical Research Section:

• Clinical trials to explore the chemotherapeutic effects of cytotoxic chemotherapeutic drugs such as oxaliplatin when combined with dietary agents initially identified as putative chemopreventive agents. This research includes work on Curcumin (Manson, Steward, Brown, Gescher), Fish oils (Dennison, www.hpb.org.uk, Morgan) and Green tea (Mellon).
• Prediction of chemotherapy-related toxicities for individual patients and optimising the dynamics of the oncology patient consultation (Thomas).
• The identification of biomarkers including imaging (Morgan, Horsfield, cardiovascular sciences) and immunological (Nicholson).
• The Development of High-performance Magnetic nanoparticles for combined tumour diagnosis and therapy in prostate cancer (Burley (chemistry), Mellon).
• Novel treatment approaches for the management of rare urological and cutaneous malignancies (Nicolson).
• Biopsy strategies for the diagnosis of prostate cancer (Mellon / Mr Khan, urology, UHL).
• Clinical phase 3 urological and bladder malignancy studies (Griffiths / Kockleburgh, Urology, UHL, National Lead for Urological Cancers)
• Systematic reviews on the management of urological cancer in collaboration with the University of Aberdeen, Cochrane groups, HTA/NICE (Griffiths).
• Development of novel therapies for B cell malignancies (Dyer, Cain, Wagner)
• Radiation research linked with preclinical groups (Symonds)
  National trials in Gastroenterology (Mayberry, deCaestecker, UHL)
• Developing and collaborating in a number of familial cancer genetics studies run nationally to determine the causes and to detect familial breast, bowel, gynaecological, prostate, lympho-reticular tumours. We are also locally developing studies predicting the response to breast cancer radiotherapy such as measuring the affect of radiotherapy on the heart (Barwell, Symonds, McCann, cardiology, UHL).

The group has links with the Children’s Cancer and Leukaemia Group (CCLG) formed in 2006 (Ablett) (http://www.cclg.org.uk/about/) and includes the Forensic Pathology Unit established in 2001, which is responsible for undergraduate and postgraduate teaching and training and research into forensic pathology, as well as having responsibility for delivery of forensic pathology services within the East Midlands (Rutty). 

Members of academic staff based in the Translational Clinical Research Section are:

 Professor B Morgan (Section Head)