North Staffordshire researchers target Chemo-Resistant Cancers
North Staffordshire researchers received £18,450 in funding from the North Staffordshire Medical Institute to investigate a potential new treatment approach for cancers that had become resistant to chemotherapy.
The research team, led by pharmacologist Dr Alan Richardson, focused on breast, ovarian and lung cancers that no longer responded effectively to the chemotherapy drug paclitaxel.
The aim of the project was to identify a way of making resistant cancer cells sensitive to treatment again, potentially opening up new options for patients whose cancers had stopped responding to conventional chemotherapy.
Understanding Chemotherapy Resistance
Paclitaxel is widely used in the treatment of several cancers and works by interfering with the ability of cancer cells to divide and grow.
Although many patients initially respond well to chemotherapy, resistance can develop over time. This can be particularly challenging in cancers such as ovarian cancer, where disease may return after treatment and prove more difficult to control.
Dr Richardson and his team at Keele University’s Institute for Science and Technology in Medicine investigated the biological processes behind this resistance.
Their earlier research had identified a protein called branched-chain keto-acid dehydrogenase kinase, or BCKDK, which was produced at higher levels in paclitaxel-resistant cancer cells.
Searching for a new treatment approach
The researchers found that inhibiting the gene associated with BCKDK could make resistant cancer cells more sensitive to paclitaxel.
Building on that discovery, the funded project aimed to test a range of chemical compounds in the laboratory to identify substances capable of blocking BCKDK activity.
The long-term goal was to develop a new drug that could potentially be used alongside chemotherapy to help restore its effectiveness.
If successful, such an approach could provide another treatment option for patients whose cancers had developed resistance to paclitaxel.
Funding early-stage medical research
The £18,450 research award enabled Dr Richardson’s team to purchase specialist equipment required to establish the initial laboratory testing programme.
This early-stage work was intended to provide the evidence needed to support future applications for larger research grants, allowing the treatment approach to be developed and investigated further.
Projects of this kind demonstrate the importance of seed funding in medical research. Initial grants can allow researchers to test promising scientific ideas, establish proof of concept and generate the evidence required to take a project to its next stage.
The award formed part of the North Staffordshire Medical Institute’s annual research funding programme, supported through charitable income, donations, bequests and revenue generated by its conference facilities.
Supporting research with the potential to improve treatment
The project highlighted the breadth of research being supported in North Staffordshire and the importance of investigating new ways to overcome treatment resistance.
By focusing on the mechanisms that allow cancer cells to survive chemotherapy, Dr Richardson and his team hoped to contribute to the development of treatments that could extend the effectiveness of existing cancer therapies.
Supporting innovative medical research remains an important part of the work associated with the Wade Charitable Foundation and North Staffordshire Medical Institute, helping local researchers explore new ideas with the potential to improve future patient care.