University handed funding to bolster cancer research

Dundee University is one of 16 institutions from across the globe to benefit from new funding on World Cancer Day.

Worldwide Cancer Research awarded the campus £190,514 towards research into how sarcoma, a rare tissue cancer, develops.

The funding was announced on World Cancer Day yesterday and it is hoped it will help identify new treatments.

Dundee University’s Professor Kevin Hiom and his team are studying how certain genetic mutation in DNA lead to sarcoma.

He said: “Worldwide Cancer Research has always taken new ideas seriously, no matter who or where they were from.

“They focus on the most innovative research ideas, enabling scientists to challenge what is understood about cancer in search of important breakthroughs that will hopefully change the course of cancer research towards more effective treatments.

“The inability to properly repair DNA damage is common to all of the 200 different diseases that make up cancer and therefore it is an obvious and successful target for treating the disease.

“By better understanding DNA repair in cancer, we hope to identify ways of killing cancer cells using potential new therapies which are more effective and much less toxic for the patients.”

A total of 16 institutions from 15 cities across the world have received a share of £3.2 million of funding to assist their research.

In the UK, projects in Birmingham and London were also awarded cash.

Those projects are exploring how to track immune cells to improve immunotherapy and how to reactivate anti-cancer genes to develop new treatments for Non-Hodgkin lymphoma.

Since it was established in 1979, Worldwide Cancer Research has funded more than £200m of research in more than 30 countries.

Speaking on World Cancer Day, the charity’s chief executive, Dr Helen Rippon, said: “We are delighted to unveil the hugely exciting new research projects we’re funding on a day where the world comes together to highlight the importance of cancer prevention, detection and treatment.

“We care deeply about improving the lives of those with cancer and are committed to making sure cancer research is at the top of the agenda in 2021.

“The past year has shown us the vital role research plays in improving the lives of people across the world, with the global research community coming together to deliver Covid-19 vaccines at phenomenal pace.

“Together we will start new cancer cures.”

“We hope to identify ways of killing cancer cells

IMPROVING TREATMENT: Professor Kevin Hiom and his team at Dundee University have been awarded £190,514.