Prof Frances Balkwill

Professor Frances Balkwill

Institute of Cancer
Barts & The London School of Medicine & Dentistry
London

Developing new treatments for ovarian cancer

Professor Frances Balkwill leads the Centre for Cancer and Inflammation at Barts & The London School of Medicine & Dentistry. She is investigating the links between cancer and inflammation, with a particular focus on ovarian cancer. Professor Balkwill aims to use the results from her lab studies to develop new anti-cancer treatments, and her team is involved in several early-phase clinical trials.

Inflammation and cancer

Inflammation in a tumour: green cells are cancer cells and red cells are inflammatory cells. Credit: Prof Frances Balkwill The environment inside and around a tumour contains many cells and molecules that are involved in inflammation, which can help cancer cells grow and survive. It can also encourage tumours to grow new blood vessels to supply oxygen and nutrients to the cancer cells, helping them to spread.

Professor Balkwill's research is looking at how inflammation helps tumours grow. She is investigating the role of two molecules called cytokines that are involved in inflammation. Her previous work has shown that these particular cytokines, TNF-alpha and IL-6, play a key role in inflammation in ovarian cancer and other forms of the disease.

The way in which TNF-alpha and IL-6 promote cancer is not fully understood. Scientists know they are produced by cancer cells during growth and spread but Professor Balkwill aims to clarify exactly how they interact with other molecules in the cancer environment to encourage cancer growth.

Clinical trials

Early-stage clinical trials investigating molecules that block the action of TNF-alpha gave promising initial results. This suggests that TNF-alpha may be a useful treatment target. Ongoing clinical trials in women with ovarian cancer are also studying the effect of drugs that block the action of IL-6.

Understanding how inflammation is linked with ovarian cancer will help Professor Balkwill identify who could benefit from this type of treatment. Her research will also establish which treatments could be successfully combined with drugs that block cytokines such as TNF-alpha and IL-6.

Professor Balkwill is also a well-respected science communicator, and has contributed to Queen Mary, University of London's new education centre, the Centre of the Cell.

Listen to an interview with Professor Balkwill, discussing her research into the immune system and cancer:

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