Tissue markers of Barrett's oesophagus development & progression
Research type
Research Study
Full title
An evaluation of prognostic and mechanistic biomarkers of the progression of the development of Barrett’s oesophagus and its progression toward oesophageal adenocarcinoma
IRAS ID
251561
Contact name
Christopher Jones
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Leeds
Duration of Study in the UK
5 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Cancer of the lower gullet, termed oesophageal adenocarcinoma (OAC), is increasingly common in much of the UK and wider Western world. There are few effective treatments for OAC and most patients diagnosed with this disease will die from it. The majority of cases of OAC develop from a precancerous condition called Barrett’s oesophagus. In Barrett’s, the cells lining the lower gullet are abnormal but not yet cancerous. Between 1 and 2 in every 200 patients with Barrett’s oesophagus develop OAC each year but it is not yet possible to predict which patients with Barrett’s will go on to do develop OAC. It is however thought that the risk of Barrett’s becoming cancerous is higher in those patients who frequently experience heartburn or reflux symptoms. This symptom describes the contents of the stomach bubbling in to the lower gullet, where they cause discomfort. It is thought that the acid and bile that make up most of the stomach juices cause damage to the Barrett’s cells when this happens and that this can contribute to them becoming cancerous. How the acid and bile salts have this effect is not clear and it is not known why only some patients with Barrett’s develop OAC in response to these stressors. However, the results of research we have undertaken in the laboratory indicates that certain cellular signals occur in response to bile and acid, and that these are important to the development of cancer. To confirm these laboratory findings, we need to determine (1) whether these same signalling molecules are present in Barrett’s tissue, (2) whether these signalling molecules increase as a patient develops OAC, and (3) whether the level of these signalling molecules relates to the level of inflammation seen in the tissue. This inflammation is a surrogate marker of the tissue’s exposure to bile and acid. In this study we will look at tissue samples taken from patients who have a normal gullet, early Barrett’s, late Barrett’s or OAC. Using these samples, we will see whether the levels of the signalling molecules we have identified in our laboratory work correlates with Barrett’s progression and/or the degree to which the tissue is inflamed.
REC name
London - Harrow Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/LO/2007
Date of REC Opinion
18 Dec 2019
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion