Using the body’s immune system to fight prostate cancer

In a nutshell

Studying how the body’s own immune system can be used to fight advanced prostate cancer, by investigating how a receptor on the surface of immune cells that seems to be involved in the detection and killing of prostate cancer cells works. The ultimate aim of increasing levels of this receptor to help the body to find and kill prostate cancer cells by itself.

Why we funded it

Despite effective treatments like surgery and radiotherapy, prostate cancer can return. When this happens, treatment using hormones and chemotherapy are often used to control the cancer. Chemotherapy is often used when patients stop responding to hormone therapy, but it can have severe side effects and cannot provide a cure.

We need new alternatives to chemotherapy and this project will investigate whether using the body’s own immune system to fight cancer could provide another treatment option for patients whose cancer no longer responds to hormone therapy.

Grant information

Institution - King's College London
Researcher - Dr Deborah Enting
Grant award - £237,281
Duration - 2013-2016
Reference - CRTF12-01 Enting