£1 million has been awarded to UCLH Charity from the Wolfson Foundation for research facilities in the new University College Hospital Grafton Way Building which is opening soon. The new cancer and surgery hospital will house a world-leading blood disorder centre, which will include research into rare or complex cancers.
The Wolfson Foundation grant will enable researchers to increase the number of patients on trials, gather translational data, test and refine new therapies and accelerate the process of discovery in new scientific areas. The focus will be on a large and growing immunotherapy research programme, significant research into cancers such as leukaemia, lymphoma, myeloma and non-malignant work such as TTP trials and haemoglobinopathy studies.
One study to benefit will be the UCL/UCLH CAR T-cell programme. One of the largest and most successful in the world, the team has delivered many experimental studies and world firsts including “off the shelf” CAR T-cells, automated manufacture, dual-targeting CARs and a CAR with a tuned binding kinetic (CAT19). The Wolfson Foundation funding will allow the programme to build on its considerable success with blood cancers and move into a new frontier of solid cancers.
Professor Geoff Bellingan, medical director of surgery and cancer at UCLH said, “We are delighted that the prestigious Wolfson Foundation has chosen to support the cutting-edge research facilities in our new Grafton Way Building – a state-of-the art cancer and surgery hospital, which will translate pioneering methodologies and protocols into evidence-driven treatments amongst a diverse patient cohort.
“This grant will enable our UCL/UCLH CAR T-cell team and others to expand their portfolio of early phase studies, gather translational data and accelerate the process of discovery. All this, with the ultimate aim of improving the outcomes for our patients with cancer. We invite potential partners to join us in this pioneering project.”
For information on becoming a partner in this important and landmark project, please contact Ruth Berenblut, major donor manager on 07790 972 368 or via e-mail: ruth.berenblut@nhs.net.
For more information about the Wolfson Foundation please visit wolfson.org.uk
