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An antibody screening test for early detection of cancer was developed in the laboratories of Prof Nick Coleman (Pathology) and Prof Ron Laskey (Zoology; UoA5) and Patent applications arising from their research were filed by Cancer Research Technology (CRT) and licensed to multiple diagnostic companies, including Becton Dickinson (BD). The BD ProExTM C reagent is in use internationally, including for the triage of cervical smears and biopsies showing `borderline' abnormalities (~5-7% of cervical smears in developed countries). Additional licensing deals have been negotiated for screening in a range of other cancers, including bladder, pancreas and prostate. The licences have generated in excess of £800K for CRT and the University to date.
Cancer research at the University of Salford focuses on developing new and improved treatments for cancer, particularly for children with cancer, demonstrating the following impact:
Research directed by Professor John Robertson at The University of Nottingham led to the launch, in 2009, of the world's first autoantibody blood test for the detection of early-stage lung cancer. The EarlyCDT-Lung test has been commercialised through the spin-out company Oncimmune. [text removed for publication]. EarlyCDT-Lung is now used clinically in North and South America, the UK and the Middle East, generating revenue and saving lives.
The Nottingham Bowel Cancer Screening trial showed that biennial Faecal Occult Blood testing reduced bowel cancer mortality by 16%. As a consequence of this trial, the Department of Health launched two screening pilots and introduced a National Bowel Cancer Screening Programme (NBCSP), achieving national coverage in 2010. Since 2008, this has sent out almost 18 million invitations and detected 16,000 bowel cancers, of which 21.6% were early cancers with a 95% chance of cure. It is estimated that the NBCSP saves around 3,500 lives each year in the UK. International screening programmes modelled on the UK system will save many more.
Thousands of people across the world with a genetic predisposition (HNPCC) to bowel cancer, together with the population at large, have benefited from research on aspirin and dietary fibre undertaken at the University of Bristol since 1993. Clinical trials involving the Bristol group show that the incidence of bowel cancer has fallen in HNPCC patients who take aspirin. Moreover, aspirin use after diagnosis of bowel cancer has reduced colorectal cancer mortality. Furthermore, a high fibre diet also lowers the risk of bowel cancer. These studies led to national public health initiatives (such as the `five-a-day' campaign) that have been instrumental in increasing public awareness of the importance of aspirin and dietary fibre in reducing the risk of bowel cancer, and in establishing international guidelines on dietary advice.
Our research has underpinned the work of Celldex Therapeutics and other US based companies, in developing a vaccine directed against hCGβ for the adjuvant treatment of epithelial cancer. A number of Phase I trials indicated an improvement in survival of vaccinated patients and Phase II trials began for bladder cancer where early data showed promise by improving the survival time. This has had a significant impact on these patients, and has the potential to extend the life of many millions of cancer sufferers (around 32% frequency of hCGβ secretion by carcinomas). Our research input has helped prove the technology and further trials are awaiting finance.
Research by Professor Parmjit Jat (first at the Ludwig Institute for Cancer Research, then part of UCL; later at the UCL Institute of Neurology) established and applied the critically important scientific concept of conditional immortalisation to a wide variety of cell lines, enabling cells to be grown indefinitely in vitro but differentiate upon altering the growth conditions. Two companies were established in partnership with Jat to exploit this research, ReNeuron (now worth £63.5m and publicly traded on the London AIM market) and XCellSyz (now part of Lonza AG). More than 20 patents based on Professor Jat's work have been issued. Reagents based on his research have been evaluated, licensed and used by 17 companies worldwide: Amgen, Amylin, Boehringer Mannheim, Cell Genesys, Chiron, Eli Lilly, Genentech Inc., Genetics Institute, Immunex, Johnson & Johnson, Medarex, Novartis, Ortho Pharm., Pfizer Inc., Regeneron, ReNeuron, Takeda, EMD Serono, and XCellSyZ/Cambrex Bioscience/Lonza.
UCL has conducted a series of national lung cancer trials, which have led to wide-scale changes in clinical practice. Two trials compared different platinum based therapies, which led to centres switching from using chemotherapy with cisplatin to carboplatin-based chemotherapy instead. Carboplatin can be given as an outpatient, and has fewer side effects, and has been (and still is) recommended as an alternative to cisplatin in the UK and US.
The University of Nottingham spin out company Scancell Holdings plc is developing novel immunotherapies for the treatment of cancer. By licensing products (£6million) and listing and raising money (£4million) on the stock exchange, it has provided an excellent return for investors. In 2012, in response to good clinical trial results, Scancell's shares showed the greatest percentage increase (10fold) on London's AIM stock exchange, reaching a market capitalisation of £98million. This has encouraged further investment (£6.5million) which is in line with the Government's plan to promote the Biotechnology Industry. As the products progress to market it will save further lives and continue to increase in value providing further profit for investors.
A novel test for prostate cancer was developed from research in mitochondrial genetics conducted at Newcastle University. The Prostate Core Mitomic Test was the first of its kind and is now commercially available in North America. It provides molecular evidence to confirm conventional pathology results showing that men identified as being at risk of prostate cancer are, at the time of examination, free of disease. This is an important patient benefit, as conventional pathology has a 30% chance of missing prostate cancer. The Mitomic test obviates the short-term need for a follow-up biopsy, which is an invasive and very uncomfortable procedure. It is also capable of identifying some men at high risk of having prostate cancer that conventional pathology would miss. The test was introduced to the American market in June 2011 and has generated a multi-million dollar investment and turnover.