(duplicate) The role of leukocytes in the colon

• Research type

  Research Study

• Full title

  The role of lymphocytes and other leukocytes in normal and diseased colon’

• IRAS ID

  179819

• Contact name

  Andrew Godkin

• Contact email

  godkinaj@cf.ac.uk

• Sponsor organisation

  RACD (Cardiff University)

• Duration of Study in the UK

  9 years, 11 months, 31 days

• Research summary

  Colorectal cancer is very common: in Cardiff alone we operate on 250 new cases each year. In 40-50% the tumour comes back and kills the patient. Better treatments are urgently needed. The immune system can fight not only pathogens (i.e. bugs and germs) but cancers. However we have discovered that some white blood cells (leukocytes including lymphocytes) in patients with colon cancers actually prevent the immune system from killing the cancer. Other lymphocytes we believe may recognise both the tumour and the normal gut: it is not clear if this is detrimental to patients. The summary of this research project is as follows:
  i) to use blood samples and/or gut samples (colon or small intestine) from patients undergoing surgery and/or endoscopic examination to study the function of the leukocytes and epithelial cells
  ii) to measure the function of lymphocytes recognising specific-antigens (i.e. proteins expressed by tumours verses control proteins expressed by pathogens such as CMV, influenza, tetanus)
  iii) to examine the phenotype of leukocytes infiltrating the gut
  iv) to understand how gut leakiness measured on small gut biopsies reflects leukocyte function
  v) to measure the protein expression in epithelial cells/stromal cells

• REC name

  Wales REC 1

• REC reference

  15/WA/0291

• Date of REC Opinion

  21 Sep 2015

• REC opinion

  Further Information Favourable Opinion