Unravelling Transcriptional Networks in Metastasis (TraNMet)
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Post-Mortem Tissue Retrieval in Upper Gastrointestinal Adenocarcinoma: Unravelling Transcriptional Networks in Metastasis (TraNMet)
IRAS ID
268370
Contact name
Yeng Ang
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Manchester
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
Together oesophageal and gastric cancer represent the fifth most common cancer site in the United Kingdom with more than 16,000 new cases diagnosed each year. Prognosis is exceptionally poor with fewer than 14.3% and 20% of patients surviving 5 years from their diagnosis in oesophageal and gastric cancer respectively. Once these cancers have spread to distant sites in the body they become impossible to cure.
Patient-derived disease tissue is a vital resource to better understand what is occurring in the faulty cancer cells that causes them to go awry. By studying the processes in the cancer cells that allow them to spread in the body we can identify targets for stopping them. These targets can be translated into more effective treatments for patients.
We will obtain tissues from participants with the most common oesophageal or gastric cancer type, called adenocarcinoma, who have suspected spread of their disease. We will retrieve these tissues within hours of their death through a co-ordinated effort between hospital staff, hospice workers, funeral directors and the participant’s loved ones to enable a ‘rapid autopsy’. Patients will be recruited at Greater Manchester hospitals and the post-mortem tissue retrieval will be performed at Salford Royal Hospital. The procedures will be completed in under a couple of hours allowing for the participant to be transported swiftly to their chosen place of rest.
We will extract genetic material from paired primary and metastatic tissue samples and decipher what genetic changes enabled spread of the cancer from its primary site. Tissue samples will be stored for use in future projects in a biobank enabling the testing of new as yet unrealised ideas.
The research will be funded by charitable grants obtained following competitive applications made to Guts UK and the Medical Research Council for which the outcomes are currently pending.
REC name
North West - Greater Manchester East Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
19/NW/0721
Date of REC Opinion
19 Dec 2019
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion