12 November 2007
Scientists to advance brain tumour research
Universities join forces against cancers
Scientists at MMU have pledged to advance treatments for brain tumours by joining forces with top research institutions around the country.
Cancer researchers from Keele University, the University of Wolverhampton and the University Hospital of North Staffordshire NHS Trust have signed an agreement to research brain tumours which kill 7,000 people every year.
The Brain Tumour North West agreement has been welcomed by families of patients who say effective treatments are limited. Life expectancy without treatment is around 15 months.
Pooling expertise
The group which also includes the University of Central Lancashire and Lancashire Teaching Hospital's NHS Foundation Trust aims to advance research by opening access to rare tumour material, sharing laboratory facilities and techniques and pooling expertise.
Representatives from the Universities of Sheffield and Manchester and their associated NHS trusts will also join the alliance early next year.
MMU's role is being led by Dr Pat Kumar, a reader in biomedical sciences and author of dozens of papers about cell biology, genetics, neurooncology and neuropathology and a member of the British Association of Cancer Research and the UK Childhood Cancer Study Group.
For more about biomedical science at MMU, see the Department of Life Sciences.
