Tag: Queen’s University Belfast

Groundbreaking research could revolutionise bowel cancer treatment

New research led by a team of scientists from Queen’s University Belfast and the Cancer Research UK (CRUK) Scotland Institute in Glasgow have made a series of groundbreaking discoveries into tumour biology that may be used to deliver a more effective personalised medicine approach for patients with bowel (colorectal) cancer.

Bowel cancer is the fourth most common cancer in the UK, with around 42,900 new bowel cancer cases and around 16,600 bowel cancer deaths in the UK every year, a statistic that highlights the need for new ways to treat patients with this aggressive disease.

The new study, funded by Cancer Research UK and published today in the prestigious journal Nature Genetics, used a unique and innovative approach developed in Belfast, to identify a set of previously unseen molecular patterns in tumour tissue that provides new information related to treatment response and risk of disease progression.

These remarkable results mean that clinicians and scientists can now draw more information from a patient’s tumour tissue which may lead to better treatment options.

Previously, the most common approach for identifying groups of tumours based on their biological signalling, known as molecular subtyping, used information about how active individual genes are within tumour tissue.

The subtypes identified using this method have shaped understanding of cancer development, progression and response to therapy over the last decade and served as the basis for numerous clinical trials and pre-clinical studies.

Dr Philip Dunne, Reader in Molecular Pathology from the Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research at Queen’s University Belfast and senior author of the study, explains: “While looking at patterns across individual genes has revealed remarkable insights into cancer signalling, advances in laboratory research over the last decade have shown that assessing activity in groups of closely related genes in combination can provide new understanding that isn’t apparent when using the traditional single gene approaches.”

Given the potential value of this new pathway approach, researchers from Queen’s University Belfast, the CRUK Scotland Institute, University of Zurich, University of Oxford alongside a multinational collaborative group proposed a new data-driven method for reclassification of bowel cancer, which has been published in this new groundbreaking study.

By assembling genes into biological pathways prior to the development of molecular subtypes, the team rearranged tumours into a series of new groups, based on activity across a complex network of cancer-related signalling; all of which appears to be critical in predicting how well a tumour will respond to different treatments such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy.

To ensure that scientists and clinicians around the world can immediately access these data and test this new subtyping approach, the team have released a freely available classification tool that allows the Belfast-developed approach to be used on tumour samples in any research lab.

Dr Sudhir Malla, Postdoctoral Research Fellow from the Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research at Queen’s University Belfast and first author of the study commented: “By developing an unrestricted classification tool for the cancer research community, it means that researchers from around the world can reproduce our finding on data emerging from their own collections of tumour samples, to identify biological pathways that cancer cells switch on or off to control their movement, growth and response to their environment.”

Professor Owen Sansom, Director of the Cancer Research UK Scotland Institute in Glasgow, who co-authored the study said: “The research presented today in Nature Genetics exemplifies the value of collaborative research between scientists and clinicians.

“Studies such as this are essential to enable us to understand the complexities of a patient’s tumour and will be used in our pre-clinical laboratories to identify novel treatments specifically targeting the biological patterns we have identified.”

Dr Sam Godfrey, Research Information Lead at Cancer Research UK, said: “Cancer is perhaps the most complex disease we face, and no single treatment will ever beat it.

“Cancer Research UK is delighted to have funded this innovative research, an important step towards giving doctors the insight to see which therapy can best exploit an individual cancer’s weakness.

“Research like this could lead to better and more precise treatments for the thousands of people diagnosed with bowel cancer every year in Scotland.”

The team are now applying their new subtyping approach on tumour samples derived from clinical trials run in the UK, to build the essential clinical evidence needed before the new method can be used to make clinical decision about which treatments a patient should be offered.

Researchers develop 3D printed bandage that delivers innovative treatment for diabetic foot ulcers

Researchers from Queen’s University Belfast have designed a new 3D printed bandage, known as a scaffold, which presents an innovative method of treatment to heal diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs).  

The research is the first of its kind and is a breakthrough for diabetes management. The findings have been published in the journal Biomaterials Advances. 

The new discovery combines lipid nanoparticles and hydrogels, which are used to create personalised skin-like 3D printed scaffolds. These scaffolds have the ability to release both a bulk and sustained release of antibiotic loaded molecules to treat diabetic ulcers.  

This combination has been shown to greatly improve patient outcomes and has the added benefit of being a more sustainable, efficient and cost-effective method of treatment as these scaffolds in the future can be “easily” produced within the hospital setting.  

This approach will also cut time for medical professionals and improve patient care, as the wound dressing can be monitored and provide the treatment needed without the need to be taken on and off repeatedly in order for the medical professionals to check the healing process.  

The research team was led by Professor Dimitrios Lamprou from the School of Pharmacy at Queen’s University Belfast, in collaboration with Ms Costanza Fratini (Erasmus Visitor), Mr Edward Weaver (PhD Student from the School of Pharmacy at Queen’s), Dr Sofia Moroni (PhD Student between Queen’s University and the University of Urbino Carlo Bo), Ms Robyn Irwin (PhD Student from the School of Pharmacy at Queen’s), Dr Yahya Dallal Bashi (Postdoctoral Researcher from the School of Pharmacy at Queen’s), Dr Shahid Uddin (Industrial Collaborator), Professor Luca Casettari (University of Urbino Carlo Bo), and Dr Matthew Wylie from the School of Pharmacy at Queen’s. 

Diabetes is a lifelong condition that causes a person’s blood sugar level to become too high. It is among the top ten causes of deaths worldwide. DFUs are a serious complication of diabetes, affecting approximately 25% of diabetic patients. When identified, over 50% are already infected and over 70% of cases result in lower limb amputation. 

As a strategy to manage DFUs, skin alternatives and wound dressings are successful treatments as they keep the wound environment “under control”, whilst providing bioactive compounds that help to manage infection and inflammation and promote tissue repair.

This is a complex process that requires several combined therapeutic approaches. As a result, there is a significant clinical and economic burden associated in treating DFU. Furthermore, these treatments are often unsuccessful, commonly resulting in lower-limb amputation.  

The use of drug-loaded scaffolds to treat DFUs has previously been shown to be successful by the same team. To create this new scaffold, the research team used a 3D bioprinting technique that combines, in one single filament, two different bioinks.

The inner core of the filament is a nanocomposite hydrogel that contains lipid nanoparticles encapsulated with thyme oil. The outer shell of the filament is represented by a hybrid hydrogel and enriched with free thyme oil. Thyme oil and other essential oils, have a promising future as an all-natural antibiotic replacement, helping address the issue of increasing incidences of antimicrobial resistance.  

This combination provides two different release ratios of the drug molecule; a bulk release for the first 24 hours and a sustained release for up to 10 days. This enables an initial disease prevention post-administration, which may be the highest-risk time, followed by sustained infection prevention during the following days of antimicrobial efficacy. 

Commenting on the importance of this study, Professor Dimitrios Lamprou, lead on the project and Chair of Biofabrication and Advanced Manufacturing from the School of Pharmacy at Queen’s University Belfast, said: “This innovative, personalised, and sustainable approach, provides the healing needed for the diabetic foot ulcers, to avoid any complications, and enables doctors to monitor the healing constantly.

“This avoids needing to remove dressing constantly, which can provoke infection and delay the healing process. Medical professionals also do not need to change the drug dosage as this double release, supports that need.” 

Dr Matthew Wylie, Lecturer from the School of Pharmacy at Queen’s University Belfast and responsible for the in vitro antibacterial activity evaluation of these novel bandages, said: “Diabetic foot ulcers are chronic wounds highly susceptible to infection which can lead to limb- or life-threatening complications.

“Our natural liposomal antibacterial approach has shown promising initial antibacterial results highlighting the potential of this strategy to prevent bacterial colonisation during the crucial early stages of wound healing, as well as longer term protection of the wound.

“Improved wound management will not only enhance patient quality of life but could reduce the need for traditional antibiotic therapy, a key aim in the fight against antimicrobial resistance development.” 

Clinical trial offers more than a glimpse into eye treatments

A new clinical trial researching treatment for patients with sight loss as a result of diabetes has shown a type of laser treatment to be both cost effective and non-invasive, offering the best option for patients and healthcare providers.  

There are currently several treatment options offered to people with Diabetic Macular Oedema (DMO), including two types of laser treatment and eye injections. DMO is the most common sight-threatening complication of diabetes, affecting over 27 million adults. This new research provides much-needed evidence to enable patients and healthcare professionals to be better informed on treatment options. 

DMO happens when blood vessels in the retina at the back of the eye leak, causing fluid build-up at the macula, which provides central vision. The leakage occurs when high blood sugar levels damage blood vessels. 

The severity of DMO is most often determined by measuring the thickness of the macula, which in-turn will determine the treatment offered. Patients with more severe DMO (with thickness of 400 microns or more) are treated with injections into the eye of drugs, known as anti-VEGFs.

Patients with mild DMO (with thickness of less than 400 microns) can be treated with macular lase, which can be standard threshold laser or subthreshold micropulse laser. The former produces a burn or scar on the retina.  The latter, which is a more recent technology, works without leaving a burn or scar or any type of visible change or mark on the retina. 

The research,  published in Ophthalmology, found that subthreshold micropulse laser, which does not create a burn on the retina, was effective in maintaining a patient’s vision. This also requires much less frequent visits to the clinic and is much more cost effective than treatment via eye injections, with eye injections costing almost ten times more than laser treatments. 

Professor Noemi Lois, Clinical Professor of Ophthalmology at Queens University and Honorary Consultant Vitreoretinal Surgeon at the Belfast Health and Social Care Trust and lead author on the study, explains: “The absence of a scar or burn following subthreshold micropulse laser led to some healthcare professionals to doubt its effectiveness compared to the standard threshold laser.

“However, our research addressed this by demonstrating that subthreshold micropulse laser is as good as standard threshold laser for helping people’s vision, reducing macula thickness, allowing people to meet driving standards, and maintaining their quality of life, both in general terms and for vision in particular.” 

The research team set out to compare both types of available laser treatment through a large randomised clinical trial, known as DIAMONDS (DIAbetic Macular Oedema aNd Diode Subthreshold micropulse laser SML). They recruited 266 patients across 16 NHS hospitals around the UK, with half receiving standard threshold laser and the other half receiving subthreshold micropulse laser. Unique to this trial, patients were involved in selecting the outcomes, including how driving standards would be met following treatment. At the end of the two-year trial, DIAMONDS found both laser treatments to offer equivalent benefits. 

The total cost of the care of patients enrolled in the trial (including the laser treatment and any other treatments required as well as the costs of the follow-up visits) over two years was similar for both patient’s groups. Over the two-year period, the cost per patient was just under £900 (£897.83) for patients in the subthreshold micropulse laser arm of the trial compared to £1125.66 for those in the standard laser arm.  

Professor Lois adds: “Some ophthalmologists advise patients with milder forms of DMO to have injections of anti-VEGFs, rather than laser, despite laser being less invasive and requiring less visits to the clinic.

“Laser treatment costs significantly less than eye-injections of anti-VEGFs. With an average of ten injections required over two years, the total cost of eye injections per patient amounts to approximately £8,500 for the drug alone. This is almost ten times the cost of subthreshold micopulse laser without taking into account additional costings such as staff time. 

“Until we published these findings, there was no robust evidence comparing these types of laser treatments. A lack of information led some healthcare professionals to favour standard laser over subthreshold micropulse laser. We now have robust evidence to show that both laser treatments are not only effective in clearing the fluid from the retina and maintaining vision for at least two years, but both are also cost-effective.”  

“Armed with this knowledge, it’s likely that patients will opt for micropulse subthreshold laser, which doesn’t burn the retina and is comparable to standard laser. Whilst we didn’t directly compare laser treatments to treatment via eye injections of anti-VEGFs, hopefully we have shown that laser is an effective treatment, while remaining much less invasive to the patient and much less costly to the NHS.”  

The research was funded by the Health Technology Assessment (HTA) of the National Institute for Health and Care Research (NIHR). 

Landmark study finds Covid-19 measures leading to severe mental health crisis in prisons

A new report ‘Coping with Covid in Prisons’ launched today (21 July) has found Covid-response measures led to periods of prolonged solitary confinement across the prison population, resulting in dramatically increased levels of anxiety and depression.

The study, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council, was a partnership between the ex-offender led charity User Voice and social scientists at Queen’s University Belfast.

One of the most comprehensive studies of life in prison during the pandemic, and completed internationally, the project drew on an innovative peer-led methodology, developed by User Voice.

Nearly 100 serving prisoners were trained in research methods to survey their peers. Over the 18-month project, these volunteers completed over 1,400 surveys with fellow prisoners across 11 prisons.

The peer-led study found that prolonged isolation and the simultaneous reduction in support services resulted in widespread deterioration of mental health and the erosion of the rehabilitative function of imprisonment.

Key findings:

· 85% of prisoners surveyed were confined to cells for 23 hours for the majority of the lockdown period.

· 59% of prisoners surveyed had not had a single visit with family during the Covid lockdown.

· Standard screening tools suggest depression and anxiety scores are almost five times higher than the standard for the general population.

· More than one out of three prisoners were scoring at the level of “severe anxiety disorder” indicating high levels of post-traumatic stress.

· Two thirds of survey respondents said that access to mental health support had worsened, instead of improving, during the lockdown.

· One out of five respondents thought that violence had reduced in the prisons because of the lockdown.

User Voice’s Founder and CEO Mark Johnson MBE said: “When almost no one was able to get into prisons, we were able to conduct one of the largest studies of prisoner experiences.

“This research has been led by prisoners, using our innovative approach developed over the past 15 years and now validated by academics.

“The report reveals one of the darkest and most hidden results of the pandemic, the true effects of extreme lockdown and confinement on prisoners and ultimately, on the public. It shows that we need to talk about criminal justice. Are prisons just for punishment or are they failing prisoners and the public if they don’t offer the support which leads to rehabilitation?”

Professor Shadd Maruna, Professor of Criminology at Queen’s University Belfast, explains: “Prisons were in crisis before the pandemic, and remarkably some voices have claimed that life in prison has actually improved because of the Covid lockdown.

“Our research definitively demonstrates that the social climate in prison has become dramatically worse after the lockdown, and a great deal of work is going to be needed to restore a sense of trust and legitimacy among the incarcerated.

“Peer-led models, like the kind that drove this research project, have the potential to do just that if implemented correctly.”

User-Voice-QUB-Coping-with-CovidDownload

Scientists awaken viral response to target bowel cancer

New research has identified the role of the immune response within bowel cancer tissue, which could lead to new lifesaving treatments for bowel cancer patients.

The study at Queen’s University Belfast analysed over 1,000 tumour samples from patients diagnosed with bowel cancer. Through analysing the visual appearance of the tumour as well as its genetic make-up, the researchers were then able to test how the immune cells within the tumour responded to different treatments in the laboratory.

The study showed that stimulating a viral-like response within a tumour can reawaken the patient’s own immune system to detect and kill cancer cells. This immune response, similar to a person’s general response to an infection, plays an important role in controlling tumour spread in some bowel cancer patients.

Although in early stage research, it is hoped that this personalised approach to treatment for bowel cancer patients could lead to increased survival rates. The research team will now focus on developing clinical trials, with the aim to treat patients within the next five years.

Dr Philip Dunne, Senior Lecturer in Molecular Pathology at the Patrick G Johnston Centre for Cancer Research at Queen’s and senior author of the study, commented: “In order to identify the most appropriate treatment options for cancer patients, our work combines features from the tumour’s visual appearance down the microscope with information about changes in the genetic make-up of the person’s tumour.

“We have found that stimulating a subset of immune cells to react in the same way that they would to a virus can reactivate multiple steps within the immune system. In cancer patients with early stage tumours that remain localised to the bowel, this enables the immune system to attack cancer cells and reduces the risk of the disease spreading.”

Queen’s PhD student and first author on the study, Shania Corry, explains: “Our findings show that a viral-like response within a tumour can reawaken the patient’s own immune system to detect and kill cancer cells, an approach that has shown remarkable effectiveness in our tumour models.

“We used a synthetic analog of double-stranded RNA, which in many ways is similar to a non-specific vaccine. It looks like a virus to the immune cells though it doesn’t contain any viral replication material. This is a really exciting development, and we hope that this approach will now lead to new treatment options for patients with bowel cancer.”

Bowel cancer is the 4th most common cancer in the UK, with around 42,900 new bowel cancer cases and around 16,600 bowel cancer deaths in the UK every year. The study, published in Gut, to coincide with Bowel Cancer Awareness month, was led by Queen’s University Belfast in collaboration with scientists and clinicians across the UK and Europe as part of two international consortia funded by Cancer Research UK.

Dr Dunne added: “Our study highlights how research can provide clinicians with vital intelligence to make the right treatment decisions for patients in the clinic.

“We have already started the process of developing a clinical trial to test this new “personalised cancer medicine” approach, which has the potential to improve survival and enhance quality of life for bowel cancer patients in the next five years as we develop our work in clinical trials.”

This study used tumour samples from over 1,000 patients diagnosed with bowel cancer, which in turn required analysis and interpretation of the resulting data across an international network of multidisciplinary researchers.

Professor Owen Sansom, Director of the Cancer Research UK Beatson Institute in Glasgow and co-author on the study, said: “This exciting new research demonstrates how cross-disciplinary collaborations, between scientists and clinicians, are essential to ensure we comprehensively characterise a patient’s tumour, allowing us to test novel treatments specifically designed to target the biology of the disease.”

Professor Mark Lawler, Chair in Translational Cancer Genomics and Professor of Digital Health at Queen’s, who co-authored the study said: “This important study demonstrates how scientific research at Queen’s can develop innovative new ways to treat cancer.

“The work pioneered by Dr Dunne’s research team validates our investment in “rising stars” who have the confidence to lead team science initiatives with prestigious international partners, addressing global challenges which will improve the lives of cancer patients.”

Responding to the study, Dr Sam Godfrey,  Research Information Lead at Cancer Research UK, said: “An important goal for beating cancer is to work out how to train our immune systems to recognize the disease and attack it.

“So It is really interesting that we could manipulate one of the defences our bodies use to deal with viruses so that it can tackle cancer.

“Further studies are needed to assess the potential of this approach in patients, but it is an exciting development that could unlock new targeted treatments for bowel cancer.”

The research study was supported by an Early Detection project grant and International accelerator programme, both funded by Cancer Research UK (CRUK), with additional funding from the Medical Research Council (MRC) and the Queen’s University Foundation, a charitable trust that funds the world-class research in Queen’s.

Largest study for men with breast cancer launched

A new international consortium to uncover genes that lead to breast cancer in men has been launched at Queen’s University Belfast. 

The consortium, known as MERGE, will discover and characterise new genetic risk factors for male breast cancer by analysing DNA from 5,000 men. The DNA will be compared to that of 10,000 men without breast cancer, making it the largest study of its kind worldwide.    

By building a large international research resource for male breast cancer genetics, the MERGE team will develop a better understanding of the causes of breast cancer in men that may lead to new treatments for the disease. 

Lead researcher, Dr Nick Orr from the Patrick G Johnson Centre for Cancer Research, said: “We need to develop a better understanding of breast cancer in men in order to improve prevention, early detection and treatment.

“Having access to the large resource provided by the MERGE consortium will enable us to develop a deeper insight into the genetics and pathology of this rare disease.” 

Male breast cancer is a relatively rare disease that accounts for less than 1% of breast cancers diagnosed every year in the UK, equating to 400 new cases annually. 

The initiative is led by Queen’s and Sapienza University of Rome and supported by the US National Cancer Institute. 

Dr Kyle Thompson, from Queen’s who is also working on the project, added: “Over the three year project, we aim to fully analyse DNA from 5000 men with breast cancer.

“By comparing the genomes of men with breast cancer to those of healthy men, we hope to identify new genetic variants that cause the disease. This knowledge could help to identify men at risk of developing breast cancer.”  

Dr Orr added: “It is only through international collaborations such as ours that we will be better equipped to treat this rare type of cancer. We will share the data gathered with our research groups, working together to make real progress in this area.

“We also hope that this work will increase the visibility of male breast cancer and educate men about the risks, encouraging them to see their doctor if they have concerns about their health.” 

Professor Laura Ottini, from Sapienza University of Rome and co-lead researcher, said: “From our experience in male breast cancer research, we know how collaborative multidisciplinary efforts lead to increased understanding in the medical and scientific communities as well as the dissemination of information and awareness to the public.

“In this context, MERGE will provide a great opportunity for filling the knowledge gap concerning male breast cancer genetics and address unmet clinical need toward gender-specific risk prediction assessment.” 

Queen’s University to host Belfast Good Friday Agreement 25th Anniversary Conference

Queen’s University Belfast is set to host a major international conference to mark the 25th Anniversary of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement. The event follows the success of Building Peace Conference that marked the 20th anniversary of the Agreement in 2018, which attracted worldwide media attention and brought together all of the main architects of the agreement.

The conference, which will be organised jointly by the Senator George J. Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice and the University’s Public Engagement Directorate, will take place on April 17th and 18th 2023.

Announcing the event, the President and Vice-Chancellor of Queen’s University, Professor Ian Greer, said: “We are privileged to again mark such an important anniversary of the Belfast/Good Friday Agreement, which will pay tribute to the significant achievements of the then local political leaders and the Governments of the UK, Ireland, and the USA.

“This event, which will take place over two days, will provide an opportunity for dialogue and reflection on the success of the peace process alongside a timely debate on how we as a community take the next steps to building a shared future which focuses on delivering socioeconomic progress for everyone.”

Speaking about the announcement, Queen’s Chancellor, Secretary Hillary Clinton, said: “It is fitting that Queen’s University Belfast will again host a major international event to mark the anniversary of the 1998 Belfast/Good Friday Agreement.

“As an anchor institution in Northern Ireland, the University continues to play a vital role in the development of peace and reconciliation initiatives through the work of the Senator George J. Mitchell Institute for Global Peace, Security and Justice, appropriately named after our former Chancellor and Chair of the talks that led to the Agreement.

“In April 2023, 25 years after the Agreement, we can rightly reflect on the significant achievements made since 1998. More importantly, we can discuss how we shape what the next 25 years of life in the region will look like. Our students and alumni at Queen’s are well placed not only to contribute to that discussion, but also to lead the way in building a better future for everyone in our community.”

Sir Tony Blair Former Prime Minister and Honorary Graduate, Queen’s University Belfast, said: “I am delighted that Queen’s University Belfast will again play host to the events marking the anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.

“The 25th anniversary is an appropriate time to reflect on the progress that Northern Ireland has made over the past quarter of a century and to discuss how the region can make further progress and tackle the many current challenges facing its people in the years ahead.”

Bertie Ahern, Former Taoiseach, Honorary Graduate and Honorary Professor, Senator George J. Mitchell, Institute of Global Peace, Security and Justice, said: “I look forward to attending the 25th Anniversary Conference organised by Queen’s University Belfast to mark the anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement.

“The conference will be an important and timely forum to celebrate the significant achievements of everyone involved in the Peace Process and also to engage with young people to hear their views on how we build a better future for everyone who shares these islands.”

New research identifies need for better support for Service leavers

New research published today calls for more support for Services leavers who face challenges transitioning from military to civilian life.

The report, Understanding ‘Negative Transitioning’ in British Ex-Service Personnel, was conducted by a research team from the Senator George J Mitchell Institute at Queen’s University Belfast led by Professor John Brewer.

The study is one of the largest UK qualitative studies to examine the experiences of veterans who make a negative transition to civilian life.

The researchers explored three measures of negative transitioning in the 323 people they interviewed: homelessness, imprisonment, or mental ill-health. They found that overall, these individuals face the same challenges as other ex-Service personnel, but lack psychological resilience and the economic means to deal with them.

While the majority of Service leavers make a successful transition to civilian life, a minority are known to struggle. The study found the reasons for a negative transition are not limited to operational experiences whilst serving, but due to multiple factors including pre-service experiences, age of enrolment, rank, capability to make decisions, over-institutionalism in the military and the effectiveness of support services.

The study found that negative transitioning particularly affects low rank veterans who are more likely to join the military from difficult or disadvantaged backgrounds, with the career in the military providing an opportunity to improve their outcomes.

However, the research suggests that the Armed Forces can fail to adequately prepare Service leavers which can result in a lack of the emotional, cultural, and social skills needed to ensure that the life they ‘escaped’ from is not the one they return to.

The research also identified several local and regional services which support veterans who have a difficult transition, highlighting the importance of local knowledge, resources, and facilities in improving outcomes for veterans and their families.

The researchers recommend a greater focus on local support provision, whilst calling for more collaboration and cooperation between support providers on a national and regional scale to ensure no Service leaver’s needs are left unmet.

Professor Brewer said: “This is an outstanding study into a very hard-to-access group of veterans, and while they are untypical of the majority of veterans who transition successfully, they attract considerable media and public attention.

“The research addresses their lived experiences in their own words, revealing remarkable testimony of their difficulties in transitioning back to civilian life. The research also captured the views from family members and support providers. No study before has dealt with these issues in such depth and scale.”

Mike Ellicock, Chief Executive of Forces in Mind Trust, said: “We know that most Service leavers transition successfully to civilian life, their lives enriched by their service.

“Forces in Mind Trust exists to improve transition for those who face additional challenges. This research is extremely helpful for us and those who support these individuals, in providing a greater understanding of why Service leavers might experience a negative transition. I would encourage anyone who is interested in this area to read the report in full.

“We acknowledge that significant progress has been made since this research was conducted, with the Office for Veterans’ Affairs and Defence Transition Services becoming operational in that time. However, the research outlines some improvements which can be made to support those who are more likely to experience a negative transition, and we hope to see these taken forward.”

The report can be accessed at the following link:

https://www.fim-trust.org/wp-content/uploads/QUB-Negative-Transition-FINAL.pdf.

New blood cancer gene defect can be treated with existing drugs

A defective gene, normally found in blood cancers, could be treated with drugs already available for cancers with similar gene defects, scientists at Queen’s University Belfast and the University of Birmingham have revealed.  

The research team, funded mainly by Cancer Research UK and the Medical Research Council, found that tumours with mutations in the SF3B1 gene respond to PARP inhibitors, a type of drug used to treat cancers which have similar mutations in the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes.  

The researchers believe that PARP inhibitors could be used to treat patients with tumours carrying the defective SF3B1 gene. This mutation is most often found in blood cancers, including chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, as well as some rare cancers like uveal melanoma.  

Dr Kienan Savage, lead author and Reader at the Patrick G Johnson Centre for Cancer Research at Queen’s, (above) said: “Our findings have clinical implications for the treatment of many cancers.

“We specifically focused on this genetic mutation as it is found in several difficult to treat leukaemias and other cancers, and it affects so many cancer patients. By deepening our understanding of this gene mutation, we have identified new ways of treating these cancers that could improve survival rates.” 

PARP inhibitors, which include olaparib and rucaparib, are used to treat some patients with ovarian, breast, prostate and pancreatic cancers – usually patients who have inherited a faulty BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene. Around 1 in 400 people have a faulty BRCA1 or BRCA2 gene.  

The research, published today in Cancer Research, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research, found that the SF3B1 mutation produces similar effects to the faulty BRCA1 gene by damaging DNA, preventing it from being repaired properly, and stopping it from making normal copies of itself. PARP inhibitors target the cell’s DNA repair tools by locking them in place on the DNA. This stops DNA repair, causing the cancer cells to die.  

The scientists found that cancer cells with the SF3B1 mutation were sensitive to olaparib, the most common PARP inhibitor, some specific chemotherapies and to radiotherapy. The scientists believe that the SF3B1 mutation disrupts the cell’s ability to make DNA repair proteins, leaving it vulnerable to drugs which target these proteins.   

The SF3B1 mutation occurs in up to 30% of blood cancers called myelodysplastic syndromes, where blood cells don’t form properly. They are difficult to treat as they occur predominantly in older patients who may not be considered fit for treatment. The mutation is also common among uveal melanoma or cancers of the eye, which currently have limited treatment options.  

Dr Katrina Lappin, from Queen’s and first author of the study, added: “Our research shows that cancers with these specific mutations, may be treated effectively with PARP inhibitor therapy drugs, which are less toxic, better at killing cancer cells with these mutations and can be taken at home in tablet form. This could have huge implications for improving outcomes and quality of life of people with these cancers.” 

“This work will pave the way for clinical trials using PARP inhibitors for the treatment of patients with this commonly associated cancer mutation, allowing a more personalised approach to the treatment of these cancers.” 

The researchers now want to test PARP inhibitors in clinical trials with patients who have the SF3B1 mutation to see if they can stop their cancer from spreading.  

Co-author Professor Grant Stewart, of the University of Birmingham, said: “Our work demonstrates that a molecular understanding of how a specific gene mutation affects a cancer cell’s ability to repair damaged DNA can be exploited clinically to specifically tailor the anti-cancer therapy used to treat an individual’s tumour.

“This will increase the effectiveness of the therapy and hopefully, reduce the chances of re-occurrence.” 

Michelle Mitchell, Chief Executive of Cancer Research UK, said: “Our scientists helped to discover the BRCA gene over 25 years ago and since then we’ve led the way in developing PARP inhibitors to treat cancers with BRCA gene faults. 

“It’s really exciting to hear about a new mutation, which behaves like the BRCA1 mutation and could in the future be treated in the same way. With PARP inhibitors already widely available, there is huge potential to help people with some of the rarest and most difficult-to-treat cancers known to us. 

“Over the past two decades, PARP inhibitors have saved thousands of lives worldwide, and it will be interesting to see if this research in the future could lead to a similar impact for people with rarer cancers.”  

The research was funded by the UK Medical Research Council, Cancer Research UK, Blood Cancer UK, Leukaemia and Lymphoma NI and Great Ormond Street Hospital Children’s Charity. 

Report highlights extensive economic benefits of tackling climate crisis across the UK

A new report has highlighted the extensive benefits to the UK economy if immediate action is taken by local authorities to address the climate crisis.

The research was led by the Centre for Sustainability, Equality and Climate Action at Queen’s University Belfast and the Place-Based Climate Action Network for UK100.

A key finding from the report is that investment in climate action at the local level would see over 800,000 green jobs created across the UK by 2030, rising to 1.38 million total jobs by 2050.

It also found that for every £1 invested in climate mitigation and protecting communities from the impacts of extreme weather events, a further £9 is saved.

It offers cross-sector insight into how investment in local climate action can lead to tangible emission reduction, but can also create good quality green jobs, economic opportunities, important social co-benefits and level up areas across the UK as we seek to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. It presents a clear evidence base that highlight not only is Net Zero transformation possible, but also that the costs of inaction are immense.

Importantly, it considers these benefits in the context of rebuilding after the COVID-19 pandemic and the impacts the public health emergency has had on local authorities, their finances, and local economies across the UK.

John Barry, Professor of Green Political Economy at Queen’s University and lead researcher on the report, said: “It is in the very difficult context of COVID-19 that local authorities must consider the meaningful, lasting and interrelated benefits of decarbonising across all sectors, confronting the climate crisis, and harnessing the economic opportunities of local climate action.

“Fortunately, this economic shift can unlock correspondingly significant social and economic benefits for our society.

“If done correctly, and in the time frame suggested by climate science, we can not only avoid the worst consequences of climate change but capitalise on the huge economic and other co-benefits of urgent transformative climate action at scale.

“Our report clearly shows that ‘building back better’ from the pandemic is to green and climate proof our societies and local economies.”

Among the strongest economic cases within the report for UK local authorities to invest in climate mitigation and adaptation is avoiding the rising costs of climate impacts.

The report highlights the estimated annual cost of floods in the UK has reached £340 million, and is expected to rise to £428 million if global temperatures rise by 2°C, reaching £619 million if post-industrial warming reaches 4°C.

Seán Fearon, co-author of the report and researcher at Queen’s, added: “A primary aim of this report was an attempt to change the perception of climate action among local authorities as a ‘cost’ or as an unaffordable ‘burden’.

“In fact, tackling the climate crisis through our councils can be the main vehicle for meaningful and positive change in our communities, creating a healthier and more inclusive society, and more democratic local economies which prioritise decent jobs and environmental wellbeing.”

Professor Ian Greer, President and Vice-Chancellor of Queen’s, concluded: “Queen’s is a world leader in research, and we know that by enabling our talent to develop solutions we can have a very real impact in creating a sustainable future for all.

“That’s why we’ve recently made a multi-million-pound investment in a new sustainability action plan to help play our part in tackling the global climate emergency.”

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