Molecular Therapeutics (Ovarian Cancer)

The general approach is to use genetic and genomic research to focus on clinically important fundamental problems in gynaecological oncology, and to exploit the understanding of new biology to impact on prevention, control and new therapy for these diseases.

Our interests are in identifying genetic lesions in ovarian and gynaecological cancers, tumour suppressor gene identification, clinical molecular profiling of gynaecological cancer, metabonomics of gynaecological cancer and the molecular basis of clinical platinum resistance in ovarian cancer.

Cancer Research UK fund us in this regard for the Trans-SCOTROC study of the interaction of single agent carboplatin with serous stage 3 grade 3 ovarian cancer. The Webber bequest funds translational research into clinical platinum resistance.

A clinical trials group is also based in the section and integrates with the McMichael Centre at the Hammersmith Campus.

The Section of Molecular Therapeutics is closely associated with the Ovarian Cancer Action Research Centre (see below) and the West London Gynaecological Cancer Centre.

Staff

Clinical Senior Lecturer (TBA)
Honorary Clinical Senior Lecturer (Dr Harpreet Wasan)
Non-Clinical Lecturer (Dr Adam Paige)
CR-UK Postdoctoral Research Fellow (Dr Euan Stronach)
Senior Technician (Ms Claudia Coralli)
NTRAC Molecular Archivist (Jose Duran)
Scientific Officer (TBA)
Visiting Research Fellow (Prof Jie Qing Zhang)
NCRI Clinical Trials Data Manager (Dr Adaeze Muoma)
Clinical Trials Data Manager (Ms Rebecca Montgomery)

The Helene Harris Memorial Trust Ovarian Cancer Action Research Centre

This is the only centre of its kind in the UK and is a joint research centre between Imperial College and the Institute of Cancer Research, Directed by Professor Gabra, competitively awarded and funded by the Ovarian Cancer Action charity (operated by the Helene Harris Memorial Trust). The centre consists of the Ovarian Cancer Action Laboratories, within the Section of Molecular Therapeutics; the Ovarian Cancer Action Joint Clinical and Translational Unit between the ICR/Marsden and Imperial/Hammersmith; and a programme of targeted projects at both institutions.

The projects funded by HHMT include biology of ovarian cancer tumour suppressor genes, metabonomics and integrative OMICS for ovarian cancer and Identifying the ovarian cancer stem cell. An immunotherapy programme in ovarian cancer is being developed using WT-1 and other proteins as targets. A clinical infrastructure programme ensures convergence between the Hammersmith and Royal Marsden clinical sites, and drives joint clinical research between the sites.