RaDiate
Research type
Research Study
Full title
RaDiate - Rare Disease Tissue Donation programme
IRAS ID
360131
Contact name
Raheleh Rahbari
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Wellcome Sanger Institute
Duration of Study in the UK
5 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
This research aims to better understand how cancer develops in people with inherited genetic conditions that increase their cancer risk. Some individuals are born with gene changes, like those in the TP53 gene (linked to Li-Fraumeni syndrome), which make them much more likely to develop cancer at a young age. However, scientists still do not fully understand why the risk or type of cancer varies so much between individuals with the same condition.
To explore this, the study invites people with a confirmed genetic cancer predisposition to donate tissue for research shortly after their death — a process known as rapid tissue donation. The research team will collect both healthy and cancer-affected tissue from many different parts of the body, as well as blood and other fluids. By doing this quickly after death, researchers can preserve the quality of the tissue, allowing them to use advanced techniques to study genetic changes, gene activity, and the way cells behave.
The information gathered will help researchers understand how inherited mutations and additional changes acquired during life work together to cause cancer. It will also show how these processes vary across different organs and individuals. By comparing tissues from people with genetic predispositions to those without, the study will identify patterns and key events in cancer development.
This research could lead to better prevention, earlier diagnosis, and improved outcomes for people with hereditary cancer syndromes.REC name
North West - Liverpool Central Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
25/NW/0260
Date of REC Opinion
27 Oct 2025
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion