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What’s this project about?
Each year, more than 7,600 people in the UK are diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. Sadly, the disease is very difficult to treat and survival rates are poor.
Dr Crispin Hiley is a Research Fellow in Professor Nick Lemoine’s lab. The aim of his work is to manipulate viruses to specifically infect and destroy pancreatic cancer cells. His ultimate goal is to develop new treatments to improve the outlook for people with the disease.
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What is the science behind the project?
As part of their life-cycle, viruses infect cells and use them as ‘factories’ to make new viruses. These then burst out of the cell and infect new cells - and so on. Harnessing this ‘cell busting’ power could be a useful weapon for treating cancer.
The team are currently working with a virus called vaccinia - a form of which was once used in the vaccine that helped to eradicate smallpox.
By modifying the vaccinia virus, they can improve its ability to target and destroy pancreatic cancer cells. For example, they are adding genes to encourage the virus to target the parts of tumours that have very low oxygen levels. These regions are particularly resistant to conventional treatments.
The researchers are currently testing this approach in the lab, with the aim of taking it into clinical trials.
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Project update
Professor Lemoine and his team shared that they’ve manipulated the virus and tested it on pancreatic cancer cells grown in the lab. They found it kills even those cancer cells that are usually the most difficult to treat. This may lead to improved treatments with fewer side effects for pancreatic cancer patients in the future.
The difference you can make
Pancreatic cancer is the sixth most common cause of cancer death in the UK. The people behind this research are committed to finding new ways to tackle pancreatic cancer.
Please help us raise £20,000 to help fund the laboratory running costs for Dr Crispin Hiley’s pioneering project in Professor Lemoine’s lab for a year.
Increased focus
While we have made real strides in improving the outlook for many types of cancer, progress in pancreatic cancer has been limited and survival rates remain low. Cancer Research UK is committed to boosting research to find new ways of tackling this disease. This pioneering project has the potential to make a significant impact on survival rates for pancreatic cancer in the future.
For more information about pancreatic cancer you can visit the CancerHelp UK website pancreatic cancer pages.
Dr. Crispin Hiley runs the marathon
Crispin Hiley is the Research Fellow leading the pancreatic cancer project. He ran the New York Marathon on Sunday 1 November 2009 to raise money for Cancer Research UK, and completed the race in 3:37.39.
As a medical doctor pursuing a Ph.D. and a career in research, Crispin believes in setting goals to work towards — something that motivated him to sign up for the marathon.
Read more about Dr. Hiley's marathon.
As a researcher for Cancer Research UK, Crispin also recognises the effort that so many supporters put in to fund projects like his.
"We need lots of new and innovative ways of treating cancer, which requires money and takes time. I’m grateful that people have run and climbed mountains to raise money so that I could do what I do, and I wanted to join them in helping fund more research."
While he found the long solo training runs difficult, Crispin enjoyed the opportunity to see the city in a range of settings. ”You get to see London at dusk and sunset, and changing through the seasons, which has been quite nice.”
Overall, Crispin was very impressed that so many people made the effort to come to New York and run for Cancer Research UK. He was pleased to be passed by only one of his fellow CR-UK participants: "He was going way too fast for me to keep up, but it did put a smile on my face!"
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Meet Margaret and Yasmin
Margaret lost her husband to pancreatic cancer last year and now finds that there are lots of new challenges in day-to-day life.
You can hear more about Margaret, her daughter Yasmin, and their life now, as they share some of their special memories in the video above.
Donate now and your support of this innovative research will help beat pancreatic cancer.
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