Pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer research is one of Liverpool’s biggest
strengths. We can analyse clinical trial samples to GCLP
standards for relevant disease biomarkers using validated
bioassays. Through industry and academic partners,
we can also develop and validate new therapeutics from
Phase I/II evaluation of the safety and efficacy of new
therapeutics to late Phase III efficacy studies.
Capabilities and facilities
•
Elucidation of the pathogenesis of cancer and
pre-cancerous conditions
•
Preclinical evaluation of novel agents
•
Early-phase clinical trials
•
Late phase clinical trials
•
Biobanking (national trials and local patients)
•
Biomarker validation
•
Molecular pathological analysis
•
Near-field scanning optical microscopy
•
Liverpool Gene Editing facility.
The University has commissioned a near-field
scanning optical microscopy (SNOM) which uses the
infrared free electron laser on the ALICE accelerator
at Daresbury. This is a major advance in the
development of a diagnostic test for oesophageal
cancer and will lead to major improvements in the
diagnosis, treatment and prognosis of the disease.
The microscope offers a state-of-the-art capability
for high spatial resolution chemical imaging; it is ideal
for materials research from biological and medical
samples to metals, semiconductors and insulators.
Relevant centres and groups
•
Liverpool Cancer Research UK Centre
•
CR-UK Liverpool Cancer Trials Unit
•
Liverpool Tissue Bank
•
MRC Centre for Genomics Research
•
MRC Centre for Drug Safety Science
•
Biomedical Electron Microscopy Unit
•
Statistics and Bioinformatics Unit
•
NMR Centre for Structural Biology
•
Cockroft Institute.
8.2
Cancer biology
Keywords
Biomarkers, carcinogenesis, metastasis, personalised
medicine, tumour microenvironment, stroma, drug
targeting, drug safety, drug resistance
Expertise
Cancer biology aims to dissect the pathological processes
and critical defects in the biological mechanisms that
lead to cancer. Our expertise covers the study of critical
processes and pathways in cell biology, including cell
cycle progression, cell division and the regulation of
protein expression by post- and pre-translational
mechanisms (eg ubiquitylation, glycosylation and
epigenetics). We also study protein-protein and cell-cell
interactions, cell signalling and the role of the
microenvironment in cancer progression (ie the
pathophysiology of tumour stroma).
Our research aims to facilitate and support the identification
of novel biomarkers and therapeutic target discovery and
testing. Our expertise is ideal for collaborative research
focusing on functional genomics, biomarker discovery,
therapeutic target discovery and testing and biobanking
(
working with the Liverpool Tissue Bank, which has large
numbers of head and neck, breast and colorectal cancer
samples) plus specialist banks that house samples of
pancreatic cancers, haematological malignancies,
uveal melanoma, oral and lung cancers. We also have
substantial experience of preclinical testing, molecular and
cellular imaging, live cell imaging, sub-cellular localisation,
in vivo
modelling and the development of 3R compliant
models and bioinformatics.
Relevant centres and groups
•
Liverpool Cancer Research UK Centre
•
Liverpool NIHR Pancreas Biomedical Research Unit
•
CR-UK Liverpool Cancer Trials Unit
•
Statistics and Bioinformatics Unit
•
Centre for Glycobiology
•
Technology Directorate
•
Liverpool Tissue Bank.
Health & Wellbeing
44
For further information
on all our specialist
centres, facilities and
laboratories
go to page
179
