UPDATE - Issue 39 - Winter 2010
Focus on research
Last year, 10 research projects supported by grants from Prostate UK were completed. Research is vital if we are to understand and, ultimately, eliminate prostate disease. Progress is being made but there is still a long way to go to. We also funded training and support for the next generation of surgeons, nurses and researchers. Here is an overview of the projects we have been involved in, if you would like to read more on these often very technical scientific reports, please get in touch with Gareth Ellis-Thomas via the office number or by emailing update@prostateuk.org
Some familiar faces return
A new diagnostic test for prostate cancer
Following on from research that was published in 2008, Dr Christiane Fenske of St George’s Hospital in London has been leading a group who have been working to put the findings to use. The highly successful research looked into the possibility of a new diagnostic test that, in using a single blood sample, would be non-invasive and, using molecular techniques, would be highly sensitive and accurate.
A patent was successfully applied for and several venture capital companies showed an interest in developing the test with the ultimate aim of introducing it to the market. Unfortunately, the interest did not lead to investment but the team are now working on new ways of validation and will soon have conclusive results.
Focal therapy in prostate cancer
A continuation grant originally awarded in 2005 helped Dr Hashim Uddin Ahmed and Dr Mark Emberton from UCL in London to research High-Intensity-Focused-Ultrasound (HIFU) and imaging of the prostate to establish which patients need treatment and which can be monitored through watchful waiting. HIFU offers fewer side effects than radical prostatectomy or radiotherapy.
In an article for the New England Journal of Medicine, Dr Ahmed used the findings from the research to discuss identifying the index lesion in prostate cancer. Metastatic prostate cancer originates from the same clone so if the single lesion harbouring this metastatic clone could be accurately identified and targeted, it seems likely that the side effects of treatment for prostate cancer would be reduced.
Increasing the effectiveness of hormone therapy
Dr Charlotte Bevan of Imperial College has used funding from Prostate UK in the past to research why the antiandrogen therapies that are so successful in combating advanced prostate cancer eventually stop working.
Her latest piece of research funded by Prostate UK follows on from her previous work relating to hormone therapy. Androgens trigger prostate tumour growth and blocking these is a mainstay of prostate cancer hormone therapy. Existing methods work initially but fail over time. Understanding how androgen receptors drive growth could lead to new methods of treatment. They can be affected by certain proteins and Dr Bevan has been researching a protein that could be a key molecule in modulating prostate specific effects.
Understanding benign prostatic hyperplasia
Predicting the progression and growth of BPH
Two separate research projects investigated the ways in which BPH progresses into a more serious condition and lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS). Dr Alastair Lamb and Mr Motaz Quandon from the University of Edinburgh looked at whether the inflammation of cells found in prostate biopsy were an indication that BPH would progress and require further drug treatment or surgery later in the patient’s life. They found that there was no link but this helps our understanding of the disease.
Advanced BPH
Dr Martin Rumsky at the University of York conducted research to begin to evaluate the role of two growth promoting proteins in BPH. He and his team are now looking to apply statistical methods to generate results for publication.
Unravelling prostate cancer piece by piece
What controls the group of enzymes that control prostate cancer?
MKP-2 is a group of enzymes in the prostate which can control another group of enzymes controlling key cell functions relevant to prostate cancer. Previous studies have shown that the variant form of MKP-2 (NV MKP-2) does not seem to work so well leading to the development of cancer.
This research conducted by Professor Robin Plevin at the University of Strathclyde tested the idea that there is an increase in NV MKP-2 in prostate cancer cells.
The research established that the variant form is expressed in prostate cancer biopsies and that it correlates strongly with the development of prostate cancer, making it a new target for study and helping our understanding of the disease.
The role of asymptomatic inflammation in prostate growth
Prostatic inflammation is common in those that have surgery for prostate cancer and BPH but the inflammation is not fully understood. Dr Mark Fenely and Mr Alex Freeman from University College London looked at radical prostatectomy specimens.
Their study demonstrated that there are distinct patterns of inflammation and this may be linked to the development of prostate cancer and BPH but more research is needed to determine how.
Reducing toxicity of chemotherapy in prostate cancer treatment
Dr Dmitry Pshezhetsky at Imperial College London looked into a way of inhibiting Sphingosine Kinase-1 (SK-1) which has a key role in cancer development and is associated with advanced stage disease and mortality.
Prohibiting SK-1 with drugs leads to a four-fold decrease in the effective dose of docetaxel (the only effective chemotherapy available) which might increase tolerability for the patient and reduce chemotherapy toxicity – one of the main side effects of the treatment.
Assessment on the physical impact on surgeons
Mr Prokar Dasgupta looked at the effects of fatigue and posture on a surgeon's performance during robotic, laparoscopic and open radical prostatectomy. He found that robotic surgery is less fatiguing and inexperienced surgeons produced fewer errors.
The next generation of surgeons, nurses and researchers
Training for the future
Prostate UK has provided grants for some of the top young surgeons to receive training at centres of excellence around the world. Mr Benjamin Eddy (pictured below) undertook a urological fellowship at the Royal Adelaide Hospital in Australia specialising in laparoscopic, robotic and pelvic oncology. 2009 represented the sixth and final year of his urological training that he has now undertaken as a specialist registrar in the South Thames region.
Five surgeons and two nurses from the Guy’s Hospital urology team received funding to attend training in robotic surgery in Strasbourg.
We also provided funding for Dr Claire Wells to attend a course which will assist her in her research into discovering the proteins that regulate the movement of prostate cancer cells away from primary tumours.
BAUN prostate cancer study day
We provided a grant to the British Association of Urological Nurses to help them put on a study day in Southampton for urological nurses. The main focus was prostate cancer but it also dealt with the side effects of treatment such as erectile dysfunction and incontinence. There was very favourable feedback from the 82 delegates, many of whom called for more training of this kind. As a result, similar days are being planned for Manchester and Cardiff.
Young Prostate Researchers Symposium
100 young scientists from around the UK, working on basic translational and clinical sciences from all areas of prostate research, attended this one day event. Among the many sessions of the day, one focused on making young researchers aware of the range of funding opportunities available.