Improving Cancer Immunotherapy
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Using autoimmunity as a guide to improve cancer immunotherapy
IRAS ID
244941
Contact name
Matthew Mee
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Queen Mary's University of London
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 7 months, 31 days
Research summary
This basic science study aims to study the differences in the epigenetic regulation of MART-1 specific cytotoxic T-cells between patients with vitiligo, an autoimmune disease where the immune system excessively recognises self-antigen, compared to healthy controls. In doing so we hope to elucidate mechanisms important in immune systems' response to self antigen, which is also important in its response to cancer cells.
Initially we will try to isolate the cells of interest (MART-1 specific T-cells) from vitiligo patients and healthy controls. We will conduct epigenetic analysis on DNA obtained from these cells to examine patterns of epigenetic regulation and RNA sequencing to look at gene expression in both groups. We hope to identify targets that are important in regulating self-antigen specific response in healthy controls and that are dysregulated in vitiligo patients. This may provide potential pathways for boosting such a response in cancer patients, particularly as adjuncts to immuno-modulatory drugs already approved for use in the clinic.
Subsequently we will then look to see whether any differences identified are present in melanoma patient samples and other cancer cell lines in order to investigate ways to potentiate the immune response against cancer in combination with other immunotherapy drugs currently used using a variety of immunological assays. However, this application is only to request ethical approval to collect blood samples from vitiligo patients only. Blood samples from healthy controls will be obtained from the NHS Blood Transfusion Service under separate ethics already in place (REC Ref: 05/Q0605/140) and samples from patients with melanoma will be obtained from the BCI Cancer Tissue Bank under separate ethical approval already in place (REC Ref: 14/LO/2031).
REC name
Yorkshire & The Humber - Bradford Leeds Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
18/YH/0438
Date of REC Opinion
8 Nov 2018
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion