CSI: Cancer
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Quantifying immune competence in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma and non-small cell lung cancer by skin contact sensitisation
IRAS ID
305049
Contact name
Christian Ottensmeier
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
The Clatterbridge Cancer Centre NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
5 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
The immune system is important to keep the body healthy and fight diseases like infections and cancer. Cancer impairs how well the immune system works (immune competence).
Non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and head and neck squamous cell cancers (HNSCC) are common, accounting for around 25% of cancer-related deaths worldwide. In recent years, new treatments (immunotherapy) which specifically target the immune system have been developed. Immunotherapy is used to treat cancers but only 20-30% of patients benefit. For immunotherapy – and likely other therapies to work, a person’s immune system must be intact to respond to the treatment. There is no standard way of testing how well a person’s immune system is working.
Experimental contact skin sensitization (ECS) can help with this problem. The chemical skin sensitiser causes an immune response (allergic reaction) on a small patch of skin. The skin inflammation can be measured and evaluated in the laboratory from a small skin punch biopsy. We think we can also measure the immune effect by examining how immune cells change over time in the blood.
We would like to assess immune competence in different stages and types of cancer, starting with people who have had cancer removed by surgery, and compare these with people who do not have cancer. This will help us see how the quality/strength of the immune response might link to the effect of treatment and cancer outcomes.
This research study is being done to understand how the immune system works in people with and without cancer. Our long-term aim is to improve treatment options for patients with head and neck and lung cancer. We hope to also apply this learning to other cancers. We want explore if we can use new immunotherapy treatments in the future to prevent these diseases or to make them less harmful.
REC name
South Central - Berkshire Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
26/SC/0113
Date of REC Opinion
5 Jun 2026
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion