Gynaecological oncology
The gynaecological oncology group is based on the Research Floor at St Mary’s Hospital, within the Academic Unit of Obstetrics and Gynaecology Group. The group's base combines a suite of laboratories and offices, for around 30 staff, which host programmes of biomedical science as well as clinical trials. The collaboration between scientists and clinicians has established Manchester as a leading centre of human papillomavirus (HPV) research both nationally and internationally. The group's current research portfolio includes external funding in excess of £3.5 million, with a particular emphasis on cervical screening.
Staff includes 6 academic staff, (3 PDRA’s) laboratory staff, 12 admin and support staff, 6 PhD students, 1 MD student and 3 research fellows.
Clinical trials
The group is involved in a number of clinical trials including 2 HTA-funded trials involving cervical screening, HPV vaccination trials and a hyperemesis trial.
Biomedical research
Led by Dr Ian Hampson with Dr Lynne Hampson, the research predominantly addresses the molecular biology of HPV in cervical cells to try to identify novel targets for both treatment and diagnosis. The group's main research goal is to provide new understanding of mechanisms of viral carcinogenesis and it now has a unique collection of human tumour virus oncoproteins for this purpose.
The group has extensive experience in many aspects of both molecular and cellular biology in order to investigate gene function, gene regulation and gene expression. Molecular cloning, plasmid construction, quantitative PCR, protein immuno-detection, yeast two hybrid, targeted gene silencing and gene transfer, are techniques in common use in the laboratories.
The work portfolio of the gynaecological oncology group is quite broad with the general theme to exploit the results of basic research to develop new approaches for both the diagnosis and treatment of gynaecological cancers. This is best exemplified by the recent publicity surrounding the groups discovery of the potential new use for the orally administered HIV drug lopinavir as a topical treatment for human papillomavirus related pre-cancerous disease of the cervix. See:
Based on their research, Drs Ian and Lynne Hampson have also recently been successful in obtaining first round funding from Liverpool Ventures for their molecular diagnostics company ViBio Ltd.
Women’s health
Led by Loretta Brabin, this research group has been at the forefront of community-based health services research. In the context of cancer prevention, the focus has been on primary prevention of cervical cancer among adolescent girls, and the introduction of HPV vaccination. The emphasis has been on understanding attitudes to vaccination among parents, and promoting the education of girls about cervical cancer prevention.
In the first population-based survey of parental attitudes to adolescent HPV vaccination, which is a vaccine against a sexually transmitted infection, we reported a potential uptake in the UK of 80% and emphasized the importance of communication between parents and child about HPV vaccination.
So that girls would better understand these issues, Lorraine Vallely produced and evaluated a DVD for 11-12 year old girls about HPV ('HPV, what’s that, Miss?'). It has since been viewed by several thousand children and received parental approval, even though it alluded openly to the sexual transmission of the HPV virus.
More recently we worked with two Primary Care Trusts, the Health Protection Agency and the Health Methodology Unit (Statistician, Dr S Roberts) to offer the bivalent HPV vaccine, Cervarix, to ~3000 12-year old girls in a school-based programme. This was a feasibility and acceptability study, managed by Rebecca Stretch, ahead of the introduction of the national HPV vaccination programme. This research has provided very useful data to inform vaccine implementation. We plan to develop this further, and to extend it to developing country settings.
More broadly, our research portfolio also includes prevention of other sexually transmitted infection among adolescents - notably Chlamydia. We have also undertaken community-based qualitative research examining issues around inadvertent treatment of women in the first trimester of pregnancy with unlicensed drugs in Keneba, The Gambia.
Current trials
- ARTISTIC
A randomised trial of HPV testing in primary cervical screening (HTA programme) - MAVARIC
A randomised trial of cervical cytology assisted by automated cervical screening (HTA programme) - HYPEREMESIS
A randomised controlled trial of the 'Hyperemesis Impact of Symptom Score' for individualised assessment and management of symptoms of hyperemesis gravidarum (NIHR RfPB)
Principal investigators
| Name | Job title | Email address |
|---|---|---|
| Henry Kitchener | Professor of Gynaecological Oncology | henry.kitchener@cmmc.nhs.uk |
| Cath Holland | Clinical Senior Lecturer in Gynaecological Oncology | cathrine.holland@manchester.ac.uk |
| Ian Hampson | Non-clinical Senior Lecturer in Gynaecological Oncology | ian.hampson@manchester.ac.uk |
| Lynne Hampson | Non-clinical Lecturer in Gynaecological Oncology | lynne.hampson@manchester.ac.uk |
| Loretta Brabin | Reader in Women’s Health | loretta.brabin@manchester.ac.uk |
| Mourad Seif | Clinical Senior Lecturer in Gynaecology | mourad.seif@manchester.ac.uk |
Collaborations
We are currently collaborating with:
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (Biostatistics/Epidemiology/Health Economics)
- Brunel University (Health Economics)
- University of York (Health Economics)
- University of Oxford (Health Economics)
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