News
World Cancer Day: Review of 2020
By: Jessica Gowers
Last updated: Thursday, 4 February 2021
World Cancer Day takes place every year on 4 February and aims to raise worldwide awareness of cancer and encourage its prevention, detection and treatment.
Over the past year, researchers in the School of Life Sciences have been working towards the development of new drugs for breast cancer and identifying new therapeutic avenues for a type of blood cancer. Our staff and students have been undertaking ambitious fundraising activities and raising awareness throughout the year.
In recognition of World Cancer Day, we present our cancer research updates and other related news from 2020.
Research news:
Sussex research points to new effective breast cancer treatment
An international study led by Professor Georgios Giamas has provided strong evidence for an effective new target for breast cancer treatment. The roughly five-year study, which involved researchers from seven institutions across three countries, suggests that LMTK3 inhibitors could be effectively used for the treatment of breast cancer, and potentially other types of cancer too.
Research finds chemical compounds pointing to new therapeutic avenues for an aggressive blood cancer
Scientists identified a small chemical compound that is able to interfere with a protein-protein interaction that is critically important for the onset of an aggressive type of blood cancer; T-cell Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia (T-ALL). The researchers, including Dr Erika Mancini and Dr Leanne Harris, argue that their findings have the potential to provide an alternative approach to developing novel drugs for the disease.
A study led by Professor Georgios Giamas provided strong evidence for the development of a new type of treatment to halt progression of a rare but aggressive subtype of cancer, triple negative breast cancer, by using existing drugs to target the surrounding healthy tissues of cancerous cells, known as fibroblasts.
Sussex researcher joins Leukaemia & Myeloma Research UK's Research Review Committee
Dr Rhys Morgan was appointed to the Research Review Committee for a UK charity committed to tackling blood cancer. He joined three other scientists to make up the specialist Research Review Committee (RRC) for Leukaemia & Myeloma Research UK.
Sussex chemist joins advisory panel for cancer research charity
Sussex chemist Professor John Spencer joined Worldwide Cancer Research’s Scientific Advisory Committee. The Committee, made of eminent cancer specialists, assess and review research grant applications to the charity.
Sussex students’ cancer immunotherapy research review published in leading journal
A research review by students and staff in the School of Life Sciences was published in the journal Cancers. Students Emilie Alard, Charlotte Kirkham, Marta Grillo and Aura-Bianca Butnariu put together the now published review on cancer immunotherapy as a continuation of their research project.
Raising funds and awareness:
Professor fundraises for cancer charity with ambitious three-month challenge
A Sussex cancer researcher is undertaking an ambitious fundraising challenge to raise money for the charity Action Against Cancer. Within three months, Professor Georgios Giamas plans to run 148.9km, complete 1,489 minutes of High Intensity Interval Training (HIIT), 1,489 minutes of sit-ups in addition to 1,489 push-ups for each of the three months.
This Sussex Life: Undergraduate Julia Reinstein: "My bone marrow was 100 per cent leukaemia cells."
Medical Neuroscience undergraduate Julia Reinstein describes her journey with blood cancer and why she is raising awareness of the treatment that saved her.
Sussex students win fundraising award from blood cancer charity
A group of students received an award from the blood cancer charity Anthony Nolan for their fundraising achievements. A team of five students, who make up the Brighton & Sussex Marrow Group, raised over £5,050 for Anthony Nolan, despite an initial goal of £1,000, securing them the ‘fundraising star group’ award.
Two virtual events, organised by Dr Rhys Morgan, debunked the myths around stem cell donation, in an effort to encourage more people to join the bone marrow register. Dr Morgan arranged two virtual sessions exploring two perspectives of stem cell donation – donor and recipient.