Through building a portfolio of multi-disciplinary teams drawing from both organizations the Centre will enable scientists and clinicians to learn from each other and apply their expertise for the benefit of cancer patients in both nations.
The West China Hospital (WCH) has established a database of biological specimens from CRC patients (adenomas, early cancer, advanced cancer and adjacent normal tissues, blood, urine, etc.) and patient information database and have a fantastic endoscopic service and access to a very large symptomatic patient population. Oxford has expertise in establishing regional screening programmes, developing RNA based biomarker analysis and stratification. These expertises be combined to validate emerging biomarker-based detection and screening strategies with a view to establishing the infrastructure to develop a comprehensive screening program in Chengdu.
West China Hospital and Oxford University Hospital(OUH) treat a significant number of patients with GI cancer where it represents a significant health-economic burden. Oxford and Sichuan Universities have expertise in a range of novel technology platforms, colorectal and gastric biology, RNA/DNA biomarkers, AI and digital pathology expertise in that can enable the detection, diagnosis and monitoring of cancer patients. Collaboration between researchers from both sites will enable the validation and clinical implementation of detection and treatment selection strategies.
Sichuan and Oxford Universities are home to researchers with expertise in a range of immune monitoring methods (single-cell sequencing, flow cytometry, multi-plex IF); metabolomic, epithelial-mesenchymal and vascular biology groups. Collaboration will enable the progression of our understanding of the role the microenvironment plays in disease progression in a range of cancer types including colorectal, gastro-oesophageal and pancreatic.
Oxford and Sichuan Universities have access to structural genomics, medicinal chemistry, target discovery platforms and a wide range of mouse models. A combined approach to exploit the enzymes involved in regulation of epigenesis as cancer drug targets will be undertaken
Development of a shared multidisciplinary clinical trials portfolio between WCH and OUH covering the spectrum of surgical, radiotherapeutic and medical interventions will enable the rapid translation of this knowledge for patient benefit.
