What we're funding now

Queen's Institute for Medical Research, University of Edinburgh

Finding out how non-tumour cells control prostate cancer growth

Dr Axel Thomson

£145,738

2008 - 2011

Edinburgh Cancer Research Centre, Western General Hospital

The use of nitric oxide in combination with radiotherapy as a new treatment for prostate cancer

Professor Fouad Habib

£108,204

2008 - 2010

Institute of Cancer Research

Developing a way to predict the aggressiveness of prostate cancer.

Professor Colin Cooper

£152,475

2008 - 2011

Imperial College London

Studying the role the GNMT protein plays in prostate cancer

Dr Lakjaya Buluwela

£102,220

2008 - 2011

University of Bradford

A new treatment for advanced prostate cancer

Dr Helen Sheldrake

This is a pilot award to develop a treatment which blocks specific cell surface molecules called the Beta-3 integrins, which are involved in help allowing prostate cancer to survive, grow, and spread through the blood stream and into the bones. Currently this advanced type of prostate cancer cannot be controlled by existing treatments once it has spread to the bones.

£49,992

2011 - 2012

University of Cambridge

The role of cell regulation processes in the growth, progression and treatment resistance of prostate cancer.

Professor David Neal

This project focuses on the role played by a mechanism called ‘autophagy’ in prostate cancer cells, and will investigate whether altering this process could be used to treat the cancer. Autophagy is a process that tightly regulates cell growth by enabling death of older cells, the degradation of their components, and recycling of cellular products for the growth of new cells. This process is thought to be lost in the early stages of cancer thus allowing rapid, uncontrolled growth of cancer cells; however, it may be reactivated in larger tumours, causing tumour cells to spread to other parts of the body, and perhaps helping the tumour to resist drug treatments.

£43,851

2011 - 2013

University of Cambridge

A new strategy to stop growth factors in advanced prostate cancer

Dr Satoshi Hori

This project will test if increasing levels of a gene called Sef in prostate cancer cells can improve the efficacy of current treatments and prevent prostate cancer progression. The ultimate aim is to develop a new way of treating advanced prostate cancer by blocking its growth.

£64,661

2011 - 2013

University of Bradford

A new treatment for advanced prostate cancer with improved response and low side effects

Dr Jason Gill

The project plan is to develop a new chemotherapy for prostate cancer which will act directly against the tumour with significantly reduced side effects, and have specific activity against advanced prostate cancer.

£257,816

2011 - 2014

Beatson Institute, University of Glasgow

How do the molecules Sprouty2 and PI3/AKT promote growth of prostate cancer?

Professor Hing Leung

This project will use human prostate cancer samples to study the activity of the molecules Sprouty2 and PI3/AKT in prostate cancer. The aim is to develop targeted and individual treatment plans for men using these two molecules, by first of all understanding how they work together to cause the spread of aggressive prostate cancer, and their role as the cancer progresses and develops resistance to standard treatments.

£150,812

2011 - 2014

University of Glasgow

What changes occur to make men with prostate cancer stop responding to therapy?

Dr Joanne Edwards

This project aims to further our understanding of why prostate cancer therapy fails and identify novel proteins within prostate cancer cells that future drugs could be developed to work against.

£130,220

2011 - 2013

Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton

A new approach to testing markers of prostate cancer

Professor Colin Cooper

This project is a clinical study to test several highly promising new markers for prostate cancer in the blood and urine samples from 714 men undergoing a special type of prostate biopsy, called template mapping biopsy.

£199,725

2012 - 2015

Imperial College London

Towards a novel therapy for prostate cancer

Dr Charlotte Bevan

This study proposes to develop small molecules to increase levels of a protein called prohibitin in prostate tumours with the aim of stopping tumour growth. This is a promising new treatment strategy for prostate cancer.

£243,893

2011 - 2014

University College London

Improving needle biopsy for men affected by prostate cancer

Dr Dean Barratt

This project proposal is to develop a new improved approach to guiding needle biopsy that will allow tissue samples to be collected with much higher accuracy than can be achieved using existing techniques.

£74,014

2011 - 2013

University of Aberystwyth

Improved initial diagnosis and localisation of prostate cancer

Professor Reyer Zwiggelaar

This project will investigate if the combination of magnetic resonance (MRI) and ultrasound information can provide improved initial diagnosis and localisation of prostate cancer. The study aims to improve diagnosis of prostate cancer, and also aims to improve staging and prognosis of the disease to assist treatment decision-making.

£60,010

2011 - 2014

University of Bath

Targeting a protein to treat prostate cancer that is no longer responding to hormone therapy

Dr Matthew David Lloyd

The project is to study an important protein in prostate cancer, known as AMACR. The aim is to establish the role of AMACR protein in prostate cancer, and start the development of new medical treatments based on this knowledge.

£91,110

2011 - 2014

Queen’s University Belfast

Improving radiotherapy treatment of prostate cancer

Professor Kevin Prise

This study aims to improve the effects of radiotherapy treatment of prostate cancer by first investigating the causes of tumour resistance to radiotherapy. The next step is to use drugs which will prevent the tumour’s repair and recovery mechanisms from radiation exposure alongside radiotherapy treatment, to try and improve the efficacy of the treatment.

£99,273

2011 - 2014

University of Aberdeen

New drug targets for the treatment of advanced prostate cancer

Professor Iain McEwan

This project aims to identify new targets to develop treatments for drug-resistant, advanced prostate cancer.

£81,634

2011 - 2014

King's College London

Helping men to manage hot flushes and night sweats following prostate cancer treatments

Professor Myra Hunter

This is a study to test if a self-management treatment (guided 4 week Self-Help with a booklet and a CD), that has been found to help women with similar symptoms, can reduce hot flushes and night sweats in men with prostate cancer.

£261,001

2011 - 2013

Oxford Brookes University

A pilot study of a nurse-led intervention in primary care providing tailored advice and support to prostate cancer survivors on emotional and physical issues

Professor Eila Watson

This project is a pilot trial to test the effectiveness of a nurse-led intervention which will target men with prostate-related problems (physical (eg urinary, bowel, sexual functioning) or psychological/ psychosexual) when they are 12-24 months post-diagnosis, and will offer individualised advice, support and follow-up. This trial is an essential first step required to generate the information needed to design and run a definitive, future trial to test its clinical and cost-effectiveness.

£205,444

2012 - 2015

Imperial College, London

Downstream targets of androgen signalling: a proteomic approach

Dr Charlotte Bevan

Treatment options for men who have relapsed on hormone therapy are very limited. Ultimately the outcomes of this work will include changes in androgen (hormone) receptor signalling to be used as a biomarker. This may allow for personalised therapy for advanced cancer, and the development of treatment options for men with advanced prostate cancer who have relapsed on current therapies.

£543,424

2004 - 2007

Imperial College, London

Investigation of Wnt function in the normal prostate and in prostate cancer. Investigation of sFRP-1 and Wnt11 function in prostate cancer. Beta-catenin localisation and function in prostate cancer cells

Dr Robert Kypta

The results of this project indicated that the gene Wnt-11 is present at high levels in a significant number of patient tumours. 'Switching off' the Wnt-11 gene in cells from such tumours makes them less likely to survive hormone treatments and reduces the ability or more aggressive prostate cancer cells to spread. Thus, a therapy that targets Wnt-11 has the potential to kill prostate cancer cells and stop the more resistant cells from spreading. Since Wnt-11 is a protein that is found on the surface of prostate cancer cells this can be targeted using antibodies. There are presently no such antibodies available and a priority for the future is to make antibodies that will block Wnt-11 activity.

£622,734

2004 - 2008

Imperial College, London

Development of recombinant single chain Fv antibodies to human prostate cells for prostate research and therapy

Dr Tahereh Kamalati

This project aimed to generate novel “tools” for better “detection” and “treatment” of prostate cancer cells in patients as well as “tools” for studying how prostate cancer develops. Such “tools”, currently do not exist but would be invaluable in prostate cancer therapy. In this context, this project successfully developed two unique human antibodies that can recognise prostate cancer cells and target them directly.

£201,379

2004 - 2006

Imperial College, London

Targeting of histone deacetylation to androgen regulated genes for therapeutic approaches in prostate cancer

Dr Simak Ali and Dr Laki Buluwela

This study yielded new information regarding the gene expression changes brought about by the androgen receptor in prostate cancer cells.

£186,279

2004 - 2007

The University of Leicester

Research the support and information needs of carers for men with prostate cancer

Paul Sinfield

£83,564

2007 - 2008

Imperial College, London

Researching a gene that might be important in the early identification of aggressive prostate cancer, and also in creating a long lasting treatment for it

Professor Mustafa Djamgoz

£51,574

2007 - 2008

Beatson Centre, Glasgow University

Developing a possible drug treatment for aggressive prostate cancer.

Professor Hing Leung

£73,690

2007 - 2009

Imperial College, Department of Oncology, Hammersmith Campus

Investigation of a new target for the prevention of prostate cancer spreading to bone : The role of Endo180 in prostate cancer cell migration and metastasis

Dr Justin Sturge

£97,093

2007 - 2010

Department of Oncology, Imperial College London Hammersmith Campus

Researching a molecule that might make prostate cancer cells more susceptible to both chemotherapy and radiotherapy: mTor inhibition to sensitising prostate cancer to irradiation and docetaxel chemotherapy.

Dr Dmitry Pshezhetskiy

£118,893

2007 - 2010

Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton

Identifying biomarkers that will help predict how individuals might be affected by their prostate cancer : A biopsy TMA analysis of biomarkers of prostate cancer behaviour

Dr Chris Parker

This project will study multiple tumour tissue types to try and determine specific molecules as 'biomarkers' to identify which tumours are more aggressive and require radical treatment, from tumours which are less aggressive.

£158,635

2007 - 2010

Academic Unit of Pathology, Sheffield

Gene therapy for advanced prostate cancer

Dr Munitta Muthana

This project is to investigate gene therapy of prostate cancer that has spread to the bone (metastasised) and developed into advanced cancer. The gene therapy is exploiting a type of blood cell called a macrophage, these blood cells are known to accumulate nearby to tumours. Using these macrophage blood cells to deliver drugs could allow direct targeting of the cancer cells with treatments, thus avoiding damaging any healthy tissue.

£210,564

2007 - 2010

University College London

The use of breathing high oxygen-content gas to improve the outcome of prostate radiotherapy

Dr Roberto Alonzi

The use of breathing high oxygen-content gas to improve the outcome of prostate radiotherapy. A small clinical trial testing whether the outcomes of radiotherapy for localised prostate cancer can be improved by using carbogen gas and nicotinamide (vitamin B3) to increase oxygen levels within the tumour.

£243,712

2010 - 2013

University of Bristol

Stopping prostate cancer growing and spreading by targeting blood vessels

Professor David Bates

A basic laboratory study of the molecules controlling blood vessel growth within tumours aimed at finding out whether drugs could be developed to cut off the blood supply to prostate tumours, thereby starving cancer cells of nutrients and oxygen.

£98,889

2010 - 2013

Institute of Cancer Research

Can examining markers in the urine distinguish aggressive from non-aggressive prostate cancers?

Professor Colin Cooper

A short pilot study, designed to form the basis of a larger clinical trial in future, testing how molecules in urine samples can be measured to help identify aggressive prostate tumours.

£47,860

2010 - 2011

University of Belfast

Living with and beyond Prostate Cancer: Does more investigation result in better health? A study of the impact on men of increased and variable investigation and treatment of prostate cancer in the island of Ireland.

Dr Anna Gavin

A wide-ranging clinical and psychosocial research project studying how the different approaches taken towards prostate cancer investigation and treatment in Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland have an overall impact on men's health.

£299,648

2010 - 2013

University of Oxford

Exploiting defects in prostate cancer for new therapies

Dr Freddie Hamdy

A laboratory study of DNA repair in advanced prostate cancer cells, to identify whether defects in a pathway known as "homologous recombination" might provide potential new drug targets.

£248,975

2010 - 2013

University of Belfast

A gene therapy treatment for advanced prostate cancer

Dr Helen McCarthy

A laboratory study of a new gene therapy system to determine whether it might be able to safely and effectively deliver a toxic gene to advanced prostate tumours around the body while sparing healthy tissue.

£95,314

2010 - 2013

University of Leeds

Pre-clinical models of prostate cancer

Professor Terence Rabbitts

A laboratory-based project to make a mouse model of prostate cancer for future drug testing that replicates the human disease more faithfully than existing models.

£245.761

2010 - 2013

University of Newcastle

Understanding the mechanisms involved in the development of hormone resistant prostate cancer

Professor Craig Robson

A laboratory study of the androgen receptor protein - a key driver of prostate cancer growth - looking at whether the switch that turns this protein on and off becomes defective when prostate cancer becomes resistant to hormone therapy.

£195,485

2010 - 2013

University of Ulster

A novel role of vitamin D in protecting against prostate cancer

Dr Paul Thompson

A translational laboratory-based study to determine whether vitamin D can suppress the generation of testosterone within prostate tumours and may have a role in preventing the progression of advanced prostate cancer.

£164,754

2010 - 2013

Institute of Cancer Research and Royal Marsden Hospital

Finding out why the new drug Abiraterone, developed to treat men with advanced prostate cancer, eventually stops working

Dr Johann de Bono

A translational laboratory-based study to determine the reasons for abiraterone stopping working and try to reverse this process; also to examine how this information can be used to deliver ‘personalised’ treatments to patients based on the way they respond to drugs.

£248,028

2009 - 2012

University of Southampton

A trial of devices designed to prevent or contain persistent urinary leakage following prostate cancer

Dr Mandy Fader

A clinical trial of devices for managing urinary incontinence (leakage from the bladder) when used by men who have persistent leakage after prostate surgery for cancer.

£106,517

2009 - 2011

Queen's University Belfast

Understanding the role of bacteria in prostate cancer

Dr Andrew MacDowell

This study aims to detect the bacterium involved in causing acne, known as P.acnes, in the prostate and establish whether long term infection of the prostate with this bacterium may be responsible for triggering cancerous growth.

£157,943

2009 - 2012

University of Ulster

Understanding prostate cancer response to the hormone therapy bicalutamide

Professor Stephanie McKeown

Advanced prostate cancer is usually treated with hormone therapy, but often the cancer will develop resistance to the drugs and find new ways to continue growing. This project will test other drugs in combination with the hormone therapy bicalutamide to try and control advanced prostate cancer, thus preventing the cancer cells using other pathways to continue to grow.

£96,401

2009 - 2012

University of Cambridge

Screening for novel factors in the prostate cancer response to hormones

Professor David Neal

Hormone therapy for advanced cancer often has a limited period of efficacy due to the cancer becoming drug resistant. The androgen receptor (AR) is a key factor in the development of drug resistance, and this project aims to better understand how AR works and how the cancer develops resistance to hormone therapy treatment.

£26,000

2009 - 2010

Institute of Cancer Research and Royal Marsden Hospital

Examination of biomarkers in prostate biopsies from patients in two radiotherapy trials

Dr Chris Parker

This project aims to identify differences in prostate cancer biopsies which will help predict how well radiotherapy will work and also predict the extent of side effects in different prostate tissue types. This will allow doctors to decide how much radiotherapy to use, based on its predicted level of success and the predicted amount of side effects.

£126,801

2009 - 2011

Imperial College London

How does the enzyme SK1 help prostate cancer spread to other parts of the body?

Dr Dmitry Pshezhetskiy and Dr Justin Sturge

The protein SK1 is more abundant in prostate cancer cells than in normal prostate cells, and this protein allows the cells to grow and move faster, thus allowing the cancer to spread (metastasise). Dr Pshezhetskiy and his team are investigating how SK1 might help prostate cancer cells to move outside the prostate and which drugs are the best ones to use to stop prostate cancer spreading to the bone.

£123,632

2009 - 2012

Barts and the London School of Medicine

The public face of prostate cancer in the UK

Professor Clive Seale

This is a study of the public image of prostate cancer in the media, and how it is reflected in policy documents issued by the government, the NHS and leading prostate cancer organisations. The impact of this public image on men’s experience of prostate cancer will be studied with a focus on ethnic differences. The study will also assess the strategies pursued by organisations campaigning to raise awareness of prostate cancer over the past 20 years.

£66,295

2009 - 2012

University of Bath

A new approach to delivery of super potent drugs to prostate tumours

Professor Mike Threadgill

This project is to develop an advanced drug delivery system which will transport a highly toxic chemical in an inactive form through the body directly to the prostate tumour, whereby the chemical will become active and kill the prostate cancer cells. The system will not be toxic to other cells as the drug will only become active when it is triggered by the close proximity of prostate cancer cells.

£101,992

2009 - 2012

King's College London

Developing a new localised immunotherapy for advanced prostate cancer

Dr Christine Galustian

£49,932

2013 - 2014

St Thomas' Hospital, London

A new method to detect bone cancers that have spread from the prostate (metastases) and monitor their response to treatment

Professor Gary Cook

£49,900

2013 - 2015

King's College London

FAB4-guided P4 immune therapy for prostate cancer

Dr Sophie Papa

£50,000

2013 - 2014

University of Sheffield

RAMP-3 - a new target to prevent cancer spreading

Professor Tim Skerry

£49,978

2013 - 2013

Barts Cancer Institute

Development of new blood based markers to measure drug effectiveness and to personalise treatment in prostate cancer patients.

Dr Marco Gerlinger

£50,000

2013 - 2014

University of York

Targeting the cells that initiate and maintain tumours with new therapies

Dr Anne Collins

£187.426

2013 - 2016

University of Ulster

A new drug combination for treatment of advanced prostate cancer.

Dr Jenny Worthington

£213,603

2013 - 2016

University of Southampton

Can we develop a new hormonally targeted treatment for prostate cancer?

Dr Simon Crabb

£112,802

2013 - 2015

University of Glasgow

Improving radiation treatment of prostate cancer

Dr Rob Mairs

£204,590.05

2013 - 2016

University of East Anglia

Creating new targeted combination therapies for patients with prostate cancer that has spread outside the prostate (metastatic)

Professor Colin Cooper

£250,000

2013 - 2016

Cardiff University

Exploring new molecular and cellular pathways to better define risk in prostate cancer.

Professor Alan Clarke

£244,086

2013 - 2016

Queen Mary University of London

Identification of new drugs for prostate cancer

Professor Marco Falasca

£178,587

2013 - 2016

Newcastle University

Investigating mechanisms of hormone resistance in advanced prostate cancer using new models based on stem cell culture

Professor Craig Robson

£209,648

2013 - 2016

Srathclyde Institute for Pharmacy and Biological Sciences, Glasgow

Development of a new drug to treat advanced state prostate cancer

Professor Simon Mackay

£249,289

2013 - 2016

Newcastle University

How androgens drive prostate cancer cell growth

Professor David Elliott

£159,129

2013 - 2016

University of Dundee

Ultrasound characterisation of tissues' stiffness in prostate cancer

Mr Ghulam Nabi

£237,199

2013 - 2016

Institute of Cancer Research, Sutton

The development of genetic tests that can be performed on blood to allow the differentiation of aggressive from low activity prostate cancer and the identification of changes that cause resistance in patients receiving treatment

Dr Gerhardt Attard

£245,867.09

2013 - 2016