Exploring treatment resistance in HPV-positive and negative OPSCC
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Exploring chemotherapy resistance in HPV-positive and HPV-negative Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OPSCC)
IRAS ID
254356
Contact name
Keith Hunter
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
5 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Throat cancer, also known as Oropharyngeal Squamous Cell Carcinoma (OPSCC), is a common type of cancer that has increased in occurrence over the last few decades. There are two forms of this type of cancer, one associated with a viral infection, known as Human Papilloma Virus (shortened to HPV) and one that shows no association with this virus. These two forms of throat cancer are known as HPV-positive and HPV-negative cancer respectively. HPV-positive cancer typically responds better to treatment, with better survival rates at three years in comparison to HPV-negative cancer. Despite this, there are some reports of patients with HPV-positive cancer who do not respond well to treatment and their cancer comes back in the same place or elsewhere in the body. Once this has happened the cancer can be more difficult to treat and the outlook (prognosis) is often poorer for these patients. HPV-negative cancer continues to have a poor response to therapy.
In this study we are planning to explore the mechanisms behind treatment resistance in both HPV-positive and HPV-negative throat cancer using laboratory based techniques and tissue samples surplus to diagnostic requirements. We are planning to look at tissue samples from patients with both HPV-positive and HPV-negative tumours to see if we can find any differences in the tissue (known as biomarkers) which may be able to predict response to treatment. We are also planning to look at the DNA in the tissue to see if there are any abnormal changes which may affect a patient’s response to treatment. Alongside this we plan to carry out experimental work in the laboratory to investigate whether a new molecule designed to silence the effects of HPV (known as silencing RNA or siRNA) can enhance the effect of a common chemotherapy drug (cisplatin).
REC name
Yorkshire & The Humber - Leeds West Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/YH/0039
Date of REC Opinion
22 Feb 2019
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion