Identification and development of synthetic lethal strategies and predictive biomarkers for therapy for MMR Deficient Co

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We aim to identify and develop new ways of treating a particular type of large bowel cancer, caused by a defect in how DNA is repaired. At present, about 17% of cases of large bowel cancer have evidence of a deficiency in a DNA repair pathway called Mismatch Repair (MMR). This affects both young patients, who mainly have an inherited form of MMR deficiency, Lynch Syndrome, and older patients, who spontaneously develop a defect in one of the MMR genes. Using advanced molecular biology techniques to screen for potential drug targets, we aim to identify and develop those that could be of use in the clinical treatment of MMR deficient large bowel cancer, with the intention of taking them forwards into drug trials. The laboratory research will be based at the Institute of Cancer Research, and the clinical research at The Royal Marsden Hospital. In tandem with the development of new therapeutic strategies, we will also develop biomarkers. These are substances that can be tested in patient samples to predict whether they are likely to respond to a specific treatment or not.