MCRC Director's Update - February 2025

A very warm welcome to the latest MCRC Director’s update, focusing on February 2025.

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Manchester to share ￡50m funding pot for Early Detection research

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I’m delighted to launch this update with the news that the next phase of the International Alliance for Cancer Early Detection (ACED) has officially been unveiled by Cancer Research UK. This international Alliance between Cancer Research UK, The University of Manchester, University College London, Knight Cancer Institute at OHSU and University of Cambridge will be joined by the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and the DKFZ-German Cancer Research Centre as membership expands in the USA and Europe.

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Manchester’s position offers an exciting opportunity to identify, detect, and intercept cancer earlier for people across the world.

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Manchester will continue to build its international reputation through this Alliance, leading research programmes in immunology, hereditary cancer, and cancer inequalities. Trials such as the BCAN-RAY study demonstrate how early detection can be implemented effectively in community settings to improve risk assessment of breast cancer in young women. Other planned work will include the role of the immune system in detecting cancers early in hereditary BRCA1/2-associated cancers in adults and Li Fraumeni-associated cancers in children.

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Through this renewed Alliance, ACED will also continue to support the development of students and the next generation of early detection scientists. This continues our strategy from 2019, driving innovative early detection science, while supporting the cancer leaders of tomorrow.

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World Cancer Day 2025

Returning to the start of the month, we began February with a celebration of research and cancer treatment progress made to date with World Cancer Day. Every 4th February, we can pause and reflect on the significant research progress we’ve achieved with our Cancer Team Science approach. We’re driving innovative research and clinical trials side-by-side with our patients.?

Team science in 2025 is underpinned by our successful renewal of major research grants, including our state-of-the-art RadNet Centre and our renewed membership of the International Alliance for Cancer Early Detection. Both programmes underpin our goal of creating a future free from the burden of cancer, devising new treatment and early detection strategies.

Our programmes heavily feature patient and public input to co-create a better future for those at risk of getting cancer and cancer patients living with and beyond this complex disease.

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United by Unique

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The new theme for World Cancer Day is United by Unique. To coincide with World Cancer Day and inspired by this new theme, this month the Oglesby Cancer Research Building (OCRB) has hosted the United by Unique artwork exhibit from patients at The Christie Art Gallery.

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Organised by Artist in Residence Pat Mountford and Lucy Watson from the MCRC operations team, the exhibit hosts 15 paintings all created by patients at The Christie. Alongside their powerful stories, this exhibit has provided another reminder of the of the people and personal stories behind the disease, reminding us all why we research cancer.

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We have also been joined by the artists, their families, and other patients at The Christie for two special events as part of the exhibit. During our official opening, I was delighted to speak about the importance of exhibits like this reminding us of the intrinsic links between humanities and scientific research.

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This interdisciplinary message was further underpinned on the 18th of February, when we were delighted to host a joint research and artwork session. We were joined by artists and patients as well as members of the Experimental Cancer Medicine Centre (ECMC) who provided a snapshot of clinical research in Manchester and the opportunity to experience cancer research in action.

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The United by Unique art exhibit has been an incredible fixture in the OCRB and is open until 28th of February 2025. You can find out more about the exhibit and explore the digital library of paintings on the MCRC website.

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In other developments from the MCRC

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·????? We were delighted to co-host members of The University of Manchester Board of Governors and the President of the University at the Paterson Building. They had the opportunity to tour the new research facilities and meet many of our incredible researchers in the CRUK MI and the NBC.

·????? Congratulations to Frances Turrell, who has received ￡500,000 from Breast Cancer Now to explore why some breast cancer cells remain dormant in the body. Frances’ research will investigate the role of a type of immune cell called macrophages in reawakening dormant breast cancer cells in the lung. Read more on the MCRC website.

·????? New research has been published that explores the barriers that block patients from attending their cervical cancer screening appointments and perspectives around self-sampling methods as an alternative. Read more on the MCRC website.

·????? More than 200 men awaiting treatment for prostate cancer are being recruited from eight UK cancer centres for the DIETRICH study aimed at identifying whether extra fibre will reduce the unpleasant side effects of radiotherapy and potentially increase its effectiveness. The study is co-led by Professor Ananya Choudhury and is supported by Prostate Cancer UK. Read more on the MCRC website.

·????? And finally, if anyone visits the Manchester Museum between now and the 1st of May 2025, head up to the South Asia Gallery to experience a new public engagement exhibition that uses the tree of life methodology to uncover the barriers communities experience in relation to accessing breast cancer screening. Find out more https://www.staffnet.manchester.ac.uk/news/display/?id=32268

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I wish everyone a happy and productive March and I look forward to updating everyone again next month.