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North West Cancer Research has announced its support of a five-year project at the University of Liverpool to significantly improve outcomes for patients with gastric cancer.
The project, entitled OrganoXplore, aims to develop personalised treatment strategies to reduce deaths through gastric cancer. Led by Dr Carrie Duckworth, from the Department of Molecular and Clinical Cancer Medicine, the project team have developed a new experimental model of gastric cancer using biopsies and resected tissues taken from patients. The samples are grown into three-dimensional structures called organoids, closely resembling the patient’s tumour. Results so far, show that chemotherapy response of the organoids mirrors how the tumour in the patient responds to treatment.
Through this innovative approach, Dr Duckworth and colleagues will use the platform to predict how effective chemotherapy will be for each gastric cancer patient in the region, enabling doctors to tailor treatment more accurately.
The support from North West Cancer Research will expand the capacity and scope of the organoid hub. In the long-term, and in addition to the development of personalised treatment strategies, the project team will utilise the gastric cancer organoid hub to explore new drugs and develop early gastric cancer detection approaches, aligning with North West Cancer Research’s focus on improving cancer outcomes for people in the region.
Dr Carrie Duckworth said: “Our dedicated team of surgeons and scientists are extremely excited to be given the opportunity by North West Cancer Research to develop a ‘mini-stomach’ organoid platform. The organoids will be used to test responses of standard-of-care treatments, test novel drugs and identify new drug targets. This approach will pave the way for more personalised treatment strategies, while also contributing to the discovery of new therapies and early detection methods for this currently hard-to-treat cancer.”
Alastair Richards, CEO at North West Cancer Research said: “We are passionate about building partnerships that share our dedication to fighting cancer. For nearly 70 years, we have funded world-class research at the University of Liverpool, looking into cancer inequalities, treatments and ultimately paving the way for a cancer-free future. I am delighted this will continue through Dr Duckworth’s OrganoXplore research project and look forward to celebrating 70 years of our impactful partnership together in early 2026.”
Next year, North West Cancer Research and the University of Liverpool will mark 70 years of partnership dedicated to advancing cancer research in the region. Since then, a total of £100 million from North West Cancer Research has funded research at the University. This includes 20 active projects, such as Professor Michael Schmid's investigations into the effects of chemotherapy on secondary pancreatic cancer; Professor Ian Prior’s research on the Ras gene, present in virtually all cancer types, and learning how to stop the effects of Ras mutations leading to some of the most serious cancers; as well as projects which seek to address cancer inequalities within the region.
It is estimated that 2.5 million people in the UK are currently living with cancer. In the North West, cancer rates are higher than the national average with some cancers being much more prevalent than in the rest of the UK. Gastric cancer, for example, disproportionately affects patients in the North West of England at approximately 23% higher than the national average.
North West Cancer Research is the only independent charity dedicated to tackling cancer across the North West and North Wales and putting our region’s cancer needs first. Since 2000, the charity has funded over £55 million in pioneering cancer research and currently has over 60 active research projects. From life-saving research to leading ground-breaking projects that unveil better and kinder treatments, North West Cancer Research strive to tackle the cause, improve the care and, importantly, find the cure for cancer.