cancer blood collection to detect novel antigens
Research type
Research Study
Full title
A study collecting blood from cancer patients in order to detect novel antigens (NOVA)
IRAS ID
353027
Contact name
Rachel Kerr
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
ingenox therapeutics
Clinicaltrials.gov Identifier
N/A, N/A
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
There is growing interest in using the body’s own immune system to treat certain cancers such as pancreatic, lung and colorectal cancer. One way of doing this is through cancer vaccines. These treatments work by helping the patient’s immune system recognise, find, and destroy cancer cells.
To do this successfully, scientists need to identify specific markers on cancer cells that the immune system can be trained to target. Our research team has discovered a new source of these markers in a part of the cell known as the “dark genome.”
To move this research from laboratory studies into real patients, we have developed a simple blood test. This test can show whether a patient’s immune system already recognises these newly discovered cancer markers.
If the test is positive, it suggests that the patient’s immune system has already started responding to the cancer. This would provide strong evidence that developing a vaccine could be effective, as the vaccine could boost this natural response and help the immune system more effectively find and destroy cancer cells.REC name
South East Scotland REC 02
REC reference
25/SS/0095
Date of REC Opinion
8 May 2026
REC opinion
Further Information Unfavourable Opinion