Advanced treatment for Brain Tumours

Exploration of brain tumour biology for advanced treatment | School of Applied Sciences

Brain tumours are one of the most difficult to treat cancer types due to late diagnosis and the aggressiveness of tumours. Dr Anke Brüning-Richardson, in collaboration with Dr Sean Lawler from Brown University, USA, has been researching drugs that will target remaining brain tumour cells after surgery to prevent tumour recurrence and improve patient survival.

The Project

Standard treatment options for brain tumours are limited to surgery, chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Even with combined treatment, a brain tumour will eventually grow back within 15 months of first diagnosis and treatment leading to the death of patients.

Unlike other cancers such as breast cancer, there has not been a 'breakthrough' drug discovery for highly aggressive brain tumours and as such novel treatment options are urgently required.

Funded by the University of Huddersfield’s International Collaborative Fund (ICF), this project investigates the possibility of using 'anti-migratory' drugs, designed to prevent or reduce the movement of cancer cells from the primary tumour site to other parts of the body, to target potential invasive brain tumour cells that remain after surgery. By combining them with 'cytotoxic' drugs that kill cancer cells, the research team hopes to prevent tumour recurrence and improve the survival of patients.

There are currently candidate drugs under laboratory investigation at the University of Huddersfield that are already reaping promising results to efficiently target brain tumour cell migration.

Partner Institutions

• Brown University, Providence, USA

International Partnerships

Working alongside Dr Sean Lawler at Brown University, USA, an Ivy League university, currently QS ranked 73 in the world, has provided access to world-leading facilities and close interaction with leading scientists in the field of cancer research. Reciprocal visits at their institutions by Dr Brüning-Richardson and Dr Lawler have already led to joint grant applications for research funding and manuscripts are currently being prepared for publication.

Dr Brüning-Richardson's recent PhD student Philippa Vaughn-Beaucaire has also worked at Brown University in the final year of her PhD and is now employed by Dr Lawler as a postdoctoral researcher, deepening the link between the two universities and continuing her research to improve patients' lives suffering from this devastating disease.

Dr Brüning-Richardson and Dr Lawler are currently applying for high stake funding in the region of £1.4m and are in discussions for further grant applications. The research is in a strong position to continue to publish in high impact factor journals and apply for funding via its continued collaboration.

High grade brain tumours remain difficult to treat due to their diffuse and infiltrating nature and present with a low 5-year survival rate. My approach is to target cell migration/invasion in these tumours as a potential combination treatment, as recurrence of tumours driven by cellular migration/invasion is the main cause of death.

Dr Anke Brüning-Richardson, Senior Lecturer in Biomedicine / Pharmacology

About the Researcher

Dr Anke Brüning-Richardson is a Senior Lecturer in Biomedicine / Pharmacology in the School of Applied Sciences. Originally from Germany, she specialises in diseases of veterinary and medical importance applying latest cutting-edge technologies to understand disease mechanisms for improved diagnosis or treatment.

Find out more about Dr Brüning-Richardson.