Immunotherapy research
Some of our researchers are working on a new type of cancer treatment called ‘immunotherapy’. This exciting approach aims to harness the specificity and power of the body’s immune system to target and destroy cancer cells.
Scientists in this field are working on a variety of ways to boost the immune system’s anti-tumour responses. These range from monoclonal antibodies to cancer vaccines that are being designed to treat a range of different cancer types. Some of these immunotherapies are being tested in early-phase clinical trials.
Other research teams are supporting these efforts by working to understand in greater detail how the body’s immune system fights infection. This knowledge will help to improve the design of new immunotherapies in the future.
You can find out more about immunotherapy in our Learn about cancer section.
Below are some highlights of our immunotherapy research portfolio.
All cancer types
Dr Facundo Batista
Lymphocyte Interaction Laboratory
London Research Institute, London
Investigating immune cells in cancer
Dr Facundo Batista's Lymphocyte Interaction Laboratory is based at the Cancer Research UK London Research Institute. His research focuses on understanding how our immune system responds to infections and cancer.
Prof Robert Hawkins
Cell and Gene Therapy Group, Department of Medical Oncology
University of Manchester and Christie Hospital NHS Trust, Manchester
Harnessing the power of the immune system to fight cancer
Robert Hawkins is Cancer Research UK Professor and Director of Medical Oncology at the University of Manchester and Christie Hospital. His research focuses on the development of new immunotherapies - novel treatments that aim to use the specificity and power of the body's own immune system to target and destroy cancer cells.
Dr Nancy Hogg
Leukocyte adhesion laboratory
London Research Institute, London
How do cancers spread?
One of the things that makes cancer so difficult to treat is that it can spread to other parts of the body - this process is called metastasis. Dr Nancy Hogg and her team at our London Research Institute are studying metastasis using white blood cells, which are part of the immune system.
Prof Tim Illidge
Targeted Therapy Group
Christie Hospital NHS Trust, University of Manchester, Manchester
Harnessing the immune system to treat cancer
Professor Tim Illidge is a Cancer Research UK Senior Clinical Research Fellow at the Christie Hospital in Manchester. His research focuses on developing new cancer treatments with fewer side effects. He is particularly interested in the use of 'immunotherapies', treatments that harness the power of the body's own immune system to fight cancer.
Dr Caetano Reis e Sousa
Immunobiology Laboratory
London Research Institute, London
Investigating our immune system
Dr Caetano Reis e Sousa leads the Immunobiology Laboratory at our London Research Institute. His team is investigating how our immune system detects and responds to infection.
Breast cancer
Prof Peter Selby
Section of Oncology and Clinical Research
Leeds Institute of Molecular Medicine, Leeds
Developing and testing new ways to treat cancer
Professor Peter Selby is head of the Section of Oncology and Clinical Research at the University of Leeds. Teams in this department are carrying out lab studies into treatments for many types of cancer, including breast, ovarian, and melanoma skin cancer. Professor Selby also directs the Cancer Research UK Clinical Centre in Leeds, which brings cancer scientists and doctors together to develop new approaches to cancer care and test these in clinical trials.
Lymphoma
Prof Peter Johnson
Cancer Research UK Medical Oncology Unit
University of Southampton, Southampton
Developing new cancer treatments
Professor Peter Johnson is the Cancer Research UK Chair of Medical Oncology and directs the Southampton Clinical Centre. He is also Cancer Research UK's Chief Clinician. In this role, he is helping to shape the future of our clinical research across the UK. Professor Johnson is a leading expert in lymphoma - a cancer that affects the body's white blood cells. He's also working on new treatments that use the power of the body's own immune system to attack tumours.
Prof Christian Ottensmeier
Cancer Sciences Division, School of Medicine
University of Southampton, Southampton
Cancer vaccines - harnessing the immune system to fight cancer
Professor Christian Ottensmeier and his team based at Southampton General Hospital are at the forefront of research into cancer vaccines. This novel approach to cancer treatment aims to stimulate the body's own immune system to recognise and kill the cancer cells. The technique is being tested as a treatment for cancers such as lymphoma and myeloma.
Melanoma
Prof Peter Selby
Section of Oncology and Clinical Research
Leeds Institute of Molecular Medicine, Leeds
Developing and testing new ways to treat cancer
Professor Peter Selby is head of the Section of Oncology and Clinical Research at the University of Leeds. Teams in this department are carrying out lab studies into treatments for many types of cancer, including breast, ovarian, and melanoma skin cancer. Professor Selby also directs the Cancer Research UK Clinical Centre in Leeds, which brings cancer scientists and doctors together to develop new approaches to cancer care and test these in clinical trials.
Myeloma
Prof Paul Moss
Cancer Research UK Institute for Cancer Studies
University of Birmingham, Birmingham
Understanding the development of myeloma
Professor Paul Moss works at the Cancer Research UK Institute for Cancer Studies in Birmingham and directs of the city's Cancer Research UK Centre. He is investigating why bone marrow cells called plasma cells sometimes multiply out of control, leading to a type of cancer known as myeloma.
Prof Christian Ottensmeier
Cancer Sciences Division, School of Medicine
University of Southampton, Southampton
Cancer vaccines - harnessing the immune system to fight cancer
Professor Christian Ottensmeier and his team based at Southampton General Hospital are at the forefront of research into cancer vaccines. This novel approach to cancer treatment aims to stimulate the body's own immune system to recognise and kill the cancer cells. The technique is being tested as a treatment for cancers such as lymphoma and myeloma.
Pancreatic cancer
Dr Thorsten Hagemann
Centre for Cancer and Inflammation
Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, London
Reducing inflammation to treat pancreatic cancer
Dr Thorsten Hagemann is a Clinical Lecturer at the Centre for Cancer and Inflammation at Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry. He is investigating how cancer cells can cause inflammation, which protects them from being destroyed by the body's immune system. In particular, his research focuses on pancreatic cancer.
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