November 22, 2022

how can we target the ecosystems that support cancer to find new treatments? the ICR and the Royal Marsden’s new research strategy

Researchers believe we need a new approach to treating cancer and have identified that the complex ecosystem that supports tumours within the body – which we have only recently begun to fully understand – should be the next target.  They will use this approach to identify new cutting-edge drugs and immunotherapies which they hope will extend survival times for some people with cancer within the next decade.

The Institute of Cancer Research, London and The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust are together one of the world’s top four centres for cancer research and treatment.  They have now published their new strategy, which looks at how they will tackle cancer over the next five years, with a particular focus on targeting the cancer ecosystem.

Examples from their research programme include the proposed use of AI, new dosing strategies, finding ways to detect and diagnose cancer earlier, targeting the healthy tissue that supports cancer, and using viruses to give the immune system the edge in its evolutionary arms race with cancer. Journalists dialled in to this press briefing to hear about these and other examples of what the ICR and The Royal Marsden think the future of cancer research will look like.

Speakers included:

Prof Kristian Helin, Chief Executive of The Institute of Cancer Research, London

Dr Olivia Rossanese, Director of Cancer Drug Discovery at The Institute of Cancer Research, London

Prof Kevin Harrington, Professor of Biological Cancer Therapeutics at The Institute of Cancer Research, London, and Consultant Clinical Oncologist at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust

Dr Naureen Starling, Consultant Medical Oncologist at The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust and Senior Lecturer at The Institute of Cancer Research, London