Prof Gillies McKenna

Radiation Oncology and Biology
University of Oxford
Oxford

Improving radiotherapy treatment

Professor Gillies McKenna is a world expert in radiotherapy research. In 2006, he was recruited to the UK from the US to lead the Cancer Research UK - MRC Gray Institute for Radiation Oncology and Biology in Oxford. His research focuses on understanding the effect that radiation has on cells and how cancers can become resistant to radiotherapy. This knowledge will contribute to the improvement of radiotherapy techniques so that more people are successfully treated and experience a better quality of life.

Studying the proteins involved

Radiotherapy kills cancer cells largely by damaging their DNA and making them unable to continue to divide and grow. Professor McKenna and his team are studying the proteins that normally repair damaged DNA to look for ways to enhance the effects of radiotherapy.

Professor McKenna is also interested in a protein called AKT, which is overactive in many types of cancer. AKT can protect cancer cells from the damaging effects of radiotherapy and so cause resistance to treatment. The scientists are investigating ways to target AKT using drugs as a means to re-sensitise cancer cells to radiotherapy.

Detecting hypoxia

Cancers outgrow their blood supply and so have low oxygen levels, a state known as 'hypoxia', which can cause resistance to radiotherapy. Professor McKenna is developing copper-based agents that can be used together with PET scans to detect hypoxia in patient's cancers. In the future, these agents may be used in the clinic to allow doctors to predict how well a person will respond to radiotherapy and tailor their treatment accordingly.