Investigating a novel compound class co-formulated with chemotherapy drugs, for the treatment of bladder cancer .

Duration of MSc: 1 year (Sept 2024 - Sept 2025)

Funding amount: £1000

Primary Supervisor:
Professor Jennifer Hiscock: School of Natural Sciences

Co-supervisors
Professor Michelle Garrett: School of Natural Sciences
Professor Sashi Kommu: Department of Urology, Kent and Canterbury Hospital.

Student Biography:
I am a Kentish Man from the town of Sittingbourne where I work as a chef on the weekends for the Sisters of Christ (retired nuns). I have completed my undergraduate course of BSc (Hons) Biomedical Science with a Year Abroad at the University of Kent, where I received a First Class Honours degree in July 2024.

Linked In Profile: Jordan Bean | LinkedIn

Project Importance

Data for Kent (2015) shows that bladder cancer had the 6th highest mortality and incidence rate of all cancers by location, with 600 new people each year diagnosed, which is higher than the national average. A study of 7,410 patients with high-grade non-muscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC) showed that 74.3% of patients relapsed after remission. For patients, this can impact their length and quality-of-life. Professor Jennifer Hiscock (Kent) has invented a new class of molecules called SSAs, and early work has shown that they can enhance the anticancer activity of mitomycin C, a cancer drug used to treat NMIBC. My project will involve co-formulating (mixing) a 2nd generation set of these molecules with mitomycin C and evaluate their combined anticancer activity in NMIBC. Therefore, this project aims to amplify the effectiveness of existing treatments available to patients with NMIBC by killing more cancer cells, and subsequently reducing patient relapse rates.

Project Outputs

Using the UM-UC-3 cell line as an in vitro model for NMIBC, SSAs and anticancer drugs were delivered in two primary methodologies: sequential or as a co-formulated treatment. Consistent synergy was observed when cells were sequentially treated withthe novel compound SSA48 followed by olaparib, as well as with SSAs 56 or 57 followed by mitomycin C. In contrast, co-formulating SS48 and olaparib showed no statistically significant difference compared to the single agent control. The positive results of the synergy studies suggests that this technology can be used to quantitatively enhance the efficacy of existing treatments for NMIBC, potentially improving patient outcomes by reducing bladder cancer recurrence.

Update on Jordan: Jordan has completed his MSc and has recently been awarded a Jane Irons PhD Scholarship so that he may undertake a PhD with University of Kent and continue this project.