Step forward for cancer research

The centre is at Ninewells Hospital

Groundbreaking research into cancer treatment will take a major step forward with the opening of a new centre in Dundee.

The unit at Ninewells Hospital has brought together two world leaders in the field - Sir David Lane and Sir Alfred Cuschieri.

Their expertise has been combined to develop a new cancer treatment delivering gene therapy through keyhole surgery.

The work being done at the University of Dundee has already been recognised as being at the cutting edge of research.

I think there will be a stage reached when at least many of the cancers are treatable

Sir Alfred Cuschieri

Sir Alfred's team has already developed a surgical tool which was christened the "poisoned umbrella".

"We have come up with a system which is really a single needle that is smart," he explained.

"Once it is in the tumour it opens into seven different needles, very much like an umbrella, so that when you inject the treatment it stays and infects the entire tumour, which is what we want to do."

The gene therapy is being developed by a team led by Sir David.

Bigger picture

Dr Catherine Ball, one of his group leaders, said that bringing the two areas of research together gave them a chance to see more of the practical application of their work.

"It is only really when you come to a project like this that you actually step back and look at the bigger picture and the application of your basic research to a broader field," she said.

"Because we all work for the Cancer Research Campaign, they have a big push to look at research in terms of applications, so some of our work has been patented in the past and then you get to see that move forward."

However, Sir Alfred stressed that there was a hard road ahead.

"We are not going to solve the problem of cancer tomorrow or next year.

Research will be carried out into gene therapy

"But we will make steady progress in a number of areas and eventually I think there will be a stage reached when at least many of the cancers are treatable.

"That is the mission of the new department."

The new centre, which is being opened on Wednesday, is named after Sir James Black, Nobel Prize winner and university chancellor.

It has been made possible by fund-raising, which has been needed to meet the multi-million pound cost.

Sir Alfred added: "The project, although it has the full backing of the entire population within the university, needed a lot of support and help.

"It is really through the support of the fund-raisers that we have been able to raise the amount of money needed to establish this major technology centre."