ITTACA (Immunotherapy TimeTeller for Advanced lung CAncer)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
To identify if hair and buccal mucosa samples can provide a non-invasive, practical, accurate and clinically relevant method to determine the internal clock time and to monitor individual circadian rhythms in patients with advanced lung cancer receiving immunotherapy-based treatment.
IRAS ID
350991
Contact name
Seline Ismail-Sutton
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Betsi Cadwaladar University Health Board
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 6 months, 0 days
Research summary
Over a 24-hour period our bodily functions naturally change due to ‘circadian rhythms’. We each have a ‘chronotype’ which is our natural inclination to sleep at certain times e.g. some people are ‘early birds’ and some are ‘night owls’.
Recent studies suggest that the effectiveness of immunotherapy for cancer patients may depend on the time of day it is given. This research project wants to explore this further by determining patient’s chronotypes and exploring how different chronotypes respond to immunotherapy treatments. Furthermore, it will look at whether immunotherapy changes a patient’s body clock.
It is usually difficult to accurately determine chronotype. A new tool has been developed by Warwick University called ‘TimeTeller’, which may be able to accurately determine chronotype based on mRNA obtained from a single hair follicle or cheek swab sample. This study will see if TimeTeller can be accurately used to find out a person’s chronotype.
Lung cancer patients who are due to receive immunotherapy treatment with Pembrolizumab, Atezolizumab or Nivolumab, with or without chemotherapy, at Ysbyty Gwynedd will be invited to take part in the study. Hair follicles or a cheek swab will be taken before their first and second immunotherapy treatments. Patients will also be asked to wear a biosensor to measure their sleep patterns and activity, have their glucose levels monitored and answer some questionnaires on their sleep-wake patterns and how they are feeling. This information on a patient’s chronotype will be compared with that obtained from TimeTeller.
Patient’s disease status will be assessed at baseline and at one year post immunotherapy start. Outcomes will be assessed against chronotype.
REC name
South Central - Hampshire B Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
26/SC/0031
Date of REC Opinion
9 Apr 2026
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion