A new class of compounds to help treat bladder cancer
Jordan Bean: MSc student
A bit about me
Hi, my name is Jordan Bean, a Kentish man currently doing a Master's by Research in Cell Biology at the University of Kent. Funding for my project has been from personal funds, as well as a generous £1000 grant from the Kent Cancer Trust. I achieved a First Class Degree in Biomedical Science at the University of Kent, during which time I was fortunate to represent the Kent Falcons American Football team, studied stateside for a year at California State University Long Beach, and was awarded a prize for achieving the highest-grade dissertation in my final year. Alongside my Master’s project I am a weekend chef for retired nuns at the Sister’s of Christ organisation in my hometown of Sittingbourne, Kent.
Bladder cancer
Within the county of Kent, bladder cancer has the 6th highest incidence and mortality rate out of all cancers by location. It is estimated that 600 new patients are diagnosed with bladder cancer every year in Kent. The most significant challenge in treating patients with bladder cancer is providing long-term remission, as current data has shown nearly 75% of bladder cancer patients will relapse after achieving remission. To answer this currently unmet need, my project aims to evaluate a novel compound class, generated by Professor Jennifer Hiscock at the University of Kent and determine their ability to enhance the anti-cancer activity of currently used chemotherapies against bladder cancer cells, in the laboratory of Professor Michelle Garrett. To achieve this, a variety of experimental techniques will be employed to characterise the cellular and molecular effects exerted on bladder cancer cells, by our class of novel compounds and chemotherapies when delivered in a liquid coformulation.
Project objectives
One significant cellular effect that I assess is the reduction in cancer cell growth when bladder cancer cells are exposed to our novel compounds and chemotherapy coformulations. I use different quantities of novel compounds with a set quantity of chemotherapy and assess how altering the ratio of these compounds influence the death of bladder cancer cells. Subsequently, I wish to understand the molecular effects within the bladder cancer cells, such as the cellular pathways which result in cell death and growth. To achieve this, I use antibodies which bind to specific proteins of interest in the bladder cancer cells. This binding can be visualised, allowing for changes in the cellular pathways used by bladder cancer cells to be determined when different formulation ratios are used. The data generated will be included in my Master’s Thesis and used to make these novel molecules one step closer to having an impact on bladder cancer patients.
Importance of funding
Funding from the Kent Cancer Trust has been instrumental in the research being performed during this project. The funding has contributed to the purchasing of crucial laboratory materials, such as reagents used in cell growth assays, antibodies for protein analysis, and culture media necessary for maintaining the cancer cell lines used. The grant has helped to facilitate these studies, helping to generate valuable data which can be used to inform future research avenues and novel strategies to be employed.