Researchers in the Faculty of Medicine are to start a new study into how the immune system can prevent a common oesophageal cancer.
Adenocarcinomas are cancers that develop in gland cells which make mucus in the lining of the oesophagus. This is the most common type of oesophageal cancer in the UK and is linked to smoking, being overweight and having a long history of acid reflux. Oesophageal adenocarcinomas mainly affect the lower part of the oesophagus.
Eosinophils are a type of white blood cell and an important part of our body’s response to fighting illness and disease. They are often the first cells to respond when cancer starts to form within the body, they boost the immune systems defences and help control a tumours progression.
Funded by Cancer Research UK, Matthew Rose-Zerilli, Lecturer in Integrative Cancer Biology, will lead a new study analysing the potent activity of eosinophils in the early stages of oesophageal adenocarcinoma to better understand how the eosinophils can be better utilised to prevent cancer.
The multidisciplinary team will include scientists and clinicians from across Medicine at the University of Southampton (Drs Swindle, Rajak, Eren and Professor Underwood) and the University of Oxford University (Dr Boccellato).
Matthew said: “Our research will provide the first critical data to advance our understanding of how innate immunity can be directed to maintain epithelial barrier function, target pre-malignant cells and protect against development of oesophageal adenocarcinoma.”