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Welcome to the John van Geest Cancer Research Centre newsletter 

The John van Geest Cancer Research Centre (JvGCRC) continues to be a hive of innovation and discovery for the dedicated group of scientists based here. Recently, their work has garnered local and international acclaim, with members of the JvGCRC team presenting their groundbreaking research in prestigious events and publications. We are excited to share these achievements with you, showcasing the incredible impact your support has made possible. 

Another group has been hard at work in recent months, as more than 20 fundraisers prepare to run in the Robin Hood Half Marathon on 29 September 2024 to raise vital funds for the JvGCRC. Please join us in applauding this group for their incredible commitment to training and fundraising towards this cause, as they run to support life-saving cancer research. 

Fundraiser spotlight – Matt Varley, The Robin Hood Half Marathon

NTU is proud to be a Bronze Charity Partner for the Robin Hood Half Marathon 2024. The wonderful group of runners who have committed their time and energy to raise money for this vital cause includes many of our students and colleagues.

Matt Varley is Deputy Director of the Nottingham Institute of Education at NTU, one of the foremost providers of teacher training and other courses for learning and development professionals.

Like many others, Matt and his team at the NIE have experienced losses in recent years due to cancer. They have also stood by loved ones while they faced a life-changing cancer diagnosis and supported them through treatment and recovery. The medical research that makes survival stories like these possible has progressed considerably in recent years, led by the important work of world-class scientists such as those at the JvGCRC. However, we urgently need this progress to continue. 

Matt finds running to be a mindful activity. While he runs the half marathon he will be remembering and celebrating those whom he and his colleagues have lost, and be motivated by his goal of raising money for this critical work.  

We can’t wait to cheer on Matt and the rest of the JvGCRC fundraisers on their incredible endeavour.   

You too can support Matt and the team in our collective fight against the devastating impact of cancer. 

Groundbreaking study published on the epigenetic triggers behind the aggression of pancreatic cancer  

Dr. Maria Hatziapostolou, Senior Lecturer in Epigenetics of Diseases at NTU, has published a paper detailing the breakthrough discoveries from her work at the JvGCRC investigating the role of a gene in enabling the spread of pancreatic cancer. 

Researchers discovered that pancreatic cancers can suppress the beneficial functions of a gene called Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor-4 Alpha (HNF4A). The HNF4A gene otherwise contributes to the healthy functioning of organs and insulin production. Pancreatic cancer can instead cause molecules in the gene to switch off by a process known as DNA methylation, causing the rapid growth and spread of the aggressive cancer. 

The study, titled 'Promoter Methylation Leads to Hepatocyte Nuclear Factor 4A Loss and Pancreatic Cancer Aggressiveness' was published in the journal Gastro Hep Advances.  

Dr Hatziapostolou said of her work on pancreatic cancer: “The survival of patients beyond five years has improved very little for some time and so it’s extremely important that we find new ways to better understand this disease, how it spreads, and why it is so aggressive.”  

She hopes that her findings will pave the way for innovative new treatments for the disease, which currently holds the lowest survival rate of all 20 common cancers. 

Prestigious haematology event spotlights the JvGCRC 

Professor Sergio Rutella, Director of the JvGCRC, was invited to deliver a virtual seminar in July for the DeLuca Centre for Innovation in Haematology (Yale Cancer Centre, USA). During this talk, he discussed the team's significant contributions in identifying molecular subgroups of acute leukaemia. 

This groundbreaking research, led by the JvGCRC, focuses on understanding how these molecular features correlate with patients’ responses to cancer immunotherapies, and is a collaborative effort involving esteemed partners in Germany, Italy, Canada and the USA. 

Professor Rutella’s talk shed light on the innovative approaches being developed at the Centre to improve the prognosis and treatment of acute leukaemia and advance cancer research on an international scale. 

Research on non-coding RNAs showcased at event for Women in STEM 

Dr. Silvia Ottaviani, Senior Lecturer in Molecular Cell Biology at NTU, recently took part in Soapbox Science's Nottingham event showcasing female scientists and their work. 

She delivered a talk on non-coding RNAs and cancer metastasis, a process by which cancer cells spread from the primary site and travel within the body. Dr. Ottaviani’s research focuses on investigating the role of non-coding RNAs in regulating the metastatic process in pancreatic cancer, which holds a high potential to spread within the body.

Dr Ottaviani aims to identify novel targets for therapy for the metastatic stage of the disease, as well as circulating microRNAs in the plasma or serum of cancer patients to discover novel biomarkers that can be easily translated to the clinic. 

We'd love to hear from you    

Do you have an inspiring or uplifting story to share with us? Perhaps you have raised funds for a cause close to your heart? Would you like a closer look at our facilities? Or to see our scientists in action? Tell us what you'd like to hear about in our upcoming newsletters by emailing us at giving@ntu.ac.uk, and we'll be in touch with you and do our best to make it happen. 

Nottingham Trent University, 50 Shakespeare Street, Nottingham, NG1 4FQ.