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Doctoral CRP on Clinical and Experimental Studies to Improve Radiotherapy Outcome in AIDS Cancer Patients
Closed for proposals
Project Type
Project Code
E33022CRP
1338Approved Date
Status
Start Date
Expected End Date
Completed Date
12 July 2011Objectives
To develop more effective and less toxic radiation therapy for cancer of the Uterine Cervix in HIV/AIDS patients
Specific objectives
To develop strategies for sensitising tumour cells to radiation, specifically by down regulating specific viral proteins that are known to be factors associated with resistance to radiotherapy
To perform laboratory studies including PhD projects, of the radiosensitivity of human fibroblasts and cervix cancer cell lines in culture, with or without the addition of various HIV proteins or protease inhibitors (used to treat HIV infections). This will determine the extent of any cellular radiosensitizing properties of these molecules, and help guide the radiotherapy dosage.
To undertake clinical studies of radiotherapy for cervix cancer with or without the administration of the chemotherapeutic agent Cisplatin, known to be a radiosensitiser.
Impact
The doctoral component of the CRP was completed successfully.
Regarding the clinical component; during the CRP, and particularly towards the end and following completion, scientific groups planning clinical studies on HIV+ cancer patients in the US, approached us interested in the possible findings of our study, to assist them in the design of new clinical trials. After deciding on possible publications, we will probably share our data with these groups.
Relevance
The topic is relevant since the combination of HIV+ and certain types of cancer is still a common clinical problem in target countries.
The CRP shed light on a widespread problem in sub-Saharan Africa which is the deficient follow-up of treated patients in oncology facilities. This problem affects routinely treated patients but it becomes particularly critical when these centres attempt to participate in a clinical trial. A lesson learned from this CRP is that, in these circumstances, significant funds should be allocated to solve the problem of tracking and following patients treated under clinical research protocols. Some of the participating centres, creatively used Agency funds to solve the follow-up problem, while others did not.
Additional research is needed to address this obstacle.