Professor Tim Illidge BSc PhD MRCP FRCR

Cancer Research UK Senior Clinical Research Fellow and Consultant in Oncolology at Christie Hospital NHS Foundation Trust

The research aims of the Targeted Therapy Group are to increase our understanding of the interactions between monoclonal antibodies mAb) and irradiation in the treatment of cancer and to develop novel clinical trial protocols using radionuclide targeted therapies. There are two research domains which inter-relate to form a cohesive programme of preclinical work under the title of radioimmunotherapy (RIT) of cancer, which include optimisation of RIT and irradiation and immunoregulation. In the first project, the roles of mAb as both vectors to deliver radiotherapy to tumours and in direct cancer cell killing are further explored. The specific aims are to further understand the mechanisms of action of RIT and define the relative contributions of targeted radiation and mAb effector mechanisms to the clearance of tumour. In the second project, mAb are used to augment Tcell responses to tumour by blocking or stimulating coreceptors in the immune system. This project aims to further define the factors which are important in combining irradiation and immunoregulatory mAb.