Improved treatment for children with cancer targeted in new research
Southampton researchers have been selected to develop a new treatment for childhood cancers.
Dr Ali Roghanian and Dr Salah Mansour, with teams at MiNK Therapeutics, will focus on a new immunotherapy treatment.
This will target aggressive cancers that affect children and young people. These include bone sarcomas, acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) and medulloblastoma.
The project is among the first to be selected by the ‘C-Further’ consortium. This aims to rapidly transform innovative ideas into more effective and less toxic treatments for children and young people with cancer.
The work is part of a large effort, including with researchers at University Hospital Southampton (UHS). The team are collaborating with Dr Kim Orchard and the Wessex Blood and Marrow Transplant and Cellular Therapy team at UHS.
Catherine's experience
Dr Catherine Pointer, from Fareham, has beaten AML twice as a teenager. She lives with life-long effects from her cancer treatment. She is now a cancer scientist herself in Southampton.
She said: “Acute myeloid leukaemia survival has remained poor for decades. After my AML relapsed at the age of 17, my only option was a stem cell transplant from a donor. The treatment I received had such harsh effects on my body and caused irreparable, life-long damage.
“In the 16 years since, I continue to develop new diseases as a result of the intensive whole-body treatment I was given, and worry about what the future holds for me. As a cancer scientist I know we can do better, and this study is doing just that.”
She was first diagnosed with AML at the age of 14 and again at 17.
Commenting on the project, she said: “This is better than the treatment I experienced, because it potentially doesn't involve chemotherapy or radiation, which indiscriminately attack all cells, healthy or cancerous.
“This means patients are stronger and healthier going into their treatment, and most importantly won’t experience a lifetime of compromise and fear of what damage has been done.”
Avoiding treatment delays
Dr Roghanian and Dr Mansour are based at the University of Southampton (UoS) Centre for Cancer Immunology. They are advancing new treatments that use the body’s own immune system to recognise and attack cancer cells.
In this new research project, the international team will be developing a new type of immunotherapy. This will be specifically for hard-to-treat children’s and young people’s cancers. It will use cells from healthy donors, rather than from the patient.
Dr Ali Roghanian is Associate Professor in Cancer Immunology at UoS. He is co-lead investigator.
He said: “Using cells from healthy donors provides a more reliable starting point for creating effective treatments.
“With existing therapies, cells are taken from the patient’s own blood and can sometimes take several weeks to prepare before being returned to the patient. During this process, the patient may then become too unwell to receive them.
“What we’re aiming to develop is an ‘off the shelf’ treatment consisting of cells taken from healthy donors that are engineered, stored and ready to offer to the young patients who need them, without the delays they currently face.”
Protecting long-term health
The team will engineer immune cells to target a protein called PRAME. Cancer cells produce PRAME to help them grow and spread.
Dr Roghanian and Dr Mansour will assess the treatment's safety and effectiveness. They will also investigate how well it works in different children’s and young people’s cancers, often using tumour samples donated by patients.
MiNK Therapeutics will provide crucial proprietary immune cell technology and engineering capabilities. It will also provide translational and manufacturing expertise.
Dr Mansour is Associate Professor of Immunology at UoS. He is co-lead investigator.
He said: “We were delighted to have been selected by C-Further, allowing us to accelerate a new type of immunotherapy for children and young people with cancers that urgently need better treatment options.
“By combining engineered immune cells with cutting-edge translational research in Southampton, we aim to develop therapies that are both more effective and far less toxic than current approaches.”
“Many children and young people with these cancers either do not respond to existing treatments or face life-long side effects. Our goal is to develop therapies that not only improve survival but also protect long-term health.”
Building on a strong track record
The University has recently announced plans for a groundbreaking new medical institute in the city. This will bring together the greatest minds in medicine, computer science and engineering.
The pioneering Institute for Medical Innovation will be a joint initiative between UoS and UHS.
The £100m facility will bring researchers and medics together in the fight against diseases. These include cancer, dementia, sight loss, infectious diseases and respiratory and allergic conditions.
Professor Nick Evans is Faculty of Medicine Associate Dean for Research.
He said: “Southampton has a strong track record in advancing innovative immunotherapies from discovery towards clinical impact. This programme reflects the quality and ambition of our research community.
“The C-Further scheme provides a powerful framework for uniting academic, industry and charity expertise to accelerate translation. The combined strengths of Dr Roghanian, Dr Mansour and their collaborators provide an excellent team for progressing new treatment options for children who have cancer.”
The project also draws on the translational expertise and global paediatric oncology networks of C-Further’s partners. These include Cancer Research UK, Cancer Research Horizons, LifeArc and Great Ormond Street Hospital Charity.
This project is among the first programmes to join C-Further’s growing pipeline, which is backed by an initial budget of £30 million.