Four research innovation teams are set to receive £500,000 each
The UK Research and Innovation’s (UKRI) Medical Research Council (MRC) has invested £2m in four research innovation teams to understand and treat cancers with poor survival rates, including those of the brain, lung and oesophagus.
Research teams from Imperial College London, the University of Cardiff, King’s College London, the University of Manchester and the Christie NHS Foundation Trust will each receive £500,000 to improve outcomes for hard-to-treat cancers.
Following a two-day ‘sandpit’ event that was designed to promote new conversations and create teams of researchers from clinical, biomedical, engineering, physical and data sciences, the projects to receive funding were selected.
The focus of the projects varies from developing techniques for precision removal of cancer cells to advancing drug delivery to tumour sites and the use of artificial intelligence (AI).
Each project aims to co-develop innovative ideas and solutions to advance cancer research, including prevention, diagnosis and treatment.
Additionally, two other projects at the University of Cambridge and Nottingham Trent University have been awarded a £50,000 pump-priming grant to generate preliminary data to further the ideas developed at the sandpit for possible future funding.
Science and technology secretary, Michelle Donelan, said: “While pioneering treatments have progressed enormously over the years… cancer continues to impact on so many lives.
“By investing in high-risk but high-reward techniques – including AI – we are backing… researchers to build on generations of discoveries and give more people a fighting chance to live long and healthy lives.”
Dr Megan Dowie, MRC head of molecular and cellular medicine, said that the funding will help to achieve the steps necessary “to address hard-to-treat cancers with potential for translation to other types of cancers”.
“We look forward to supporting the teams towards achieving real-world impacts, both in a clinical setting and the real hope they may ultimately be able to offer to those suffering from some of the most challenging cancer diagnoses,” she said.
