The UK’s only bile duct cancer charity, AMMF, and experts from the University of Nottingham are collaborating on research investigating possible treatments for this primary liver cancer.
Also known as cholangiocarcinoma, bile duct cancer is thought to affect less than 2,000 people in the UK every year, with most of the cases occurring in people over the age of 65, according to the NHS.
The collaboration between AMMF and the University of Nottingham will focus on finding specific proteins known as transcription factors that are higher in cholangiocarcinoma and are responsible for driving tumour growth and tumour invasion. The project will specifically look at ways to decrease the amount of transcription factors in the tumour, as well as how these proteins change even before the tumour is detected, in inflammatory conditions.
The project will also look towards building a centre of expertise for research into bile duct cancer.
The project will run over a three-year period, with AMMF supporting PhD student Grace Martin from the University's School of Medicine, along with her supervisor, Dr Sheela Jayaraman, and a larger cohort of researchers, to investigate new treatments.
"I am grateful to get the opportunity to work on this exciting new project, thanks to receiving the AMMF funded PhD scholarship and the collaboration between the charity and the University of Nottingham. The research will provide world-leading knowledge on cholangiocarcinoma biology, which will help lead to the discovery of novel drug targets for cholangiocarcinoma. I am excited by the prospect of being able to work with experts across multiple medicine disciplines and have access to the most innovative technologies and outstanding science for my research," Martin said.
Helen Morement, CEO, AMMF, added: "This is potentially very exciting and AMMF is delighted to be able to support this new research. We hope that the results of this work will provide not only a real step forward in improving our understanding of this cancer, but also towards some long-awaited possible improvements in treatment."
"With increasing incidence globally, mortality parallel with that incidence and no improvement in survival for decades, cholangiocarcinoma is an under-researched, much neglected, truly devastating disease. We are delighted, therefore, to be able to support Grace and Dr Jayaraman at the School of Medicine in Nottingham in this promising work."
Dr Jayaraman said: "I am delighted and proud to have received this AMMF funded PhD scholarship to investigate new strategies for the inhibition of bile duct cancer growth. This studentship will allow my laboratory to take forward our results identifying PRH as a new factor that promotes the growth of bile duct tumours and our data showing that there are new vulnerabilities in the tumour cells that can be targeted as a consequence of high PRH activity."