ABC UK is delighted to announce the successful grant recipients for the ‘Improving Outcomes for Patients Programme' & Nursing Award for 2025.

Understanding how high-risk bladder cancer develops from normal bladder tissue using single cell RNA sequencing

This research, led by Matthew Byrne and his team at the Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences, University of Oxford, aims to understand how treatment-resistant bladder cancer develops by comparing healthy bladder tissue to cancerous tissue. The findings could lead to earlier detection and more effective, personalised treatments for aggressive forms of the disease. 

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Identification of membrane protein targets for radiosensitisation in Muscle-Invasive Bladder Cancer

This research project, led by Professor Ananya Choudhury and Dr Amen Shamim at the University of Manchester, aims to tackle treatment-resistant muscle-invasive bladder cancer by identifying proteins on cancer cells that cause radioresistance. Using lab-grown resistant cell lines and advanced computer modelling, the team hopes to find existing drugs that can make radiotherapy more effective for patients.     

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A Novel Treatment Strategy to Enhance Bladder Cancer Immunotherapy via NK Cell Activation

This project, led by Dr Jinhui Gao at University College London and overseen by Professor Jennifer Rohn, aims to develop a new treatment for bladder cancer by boosting the immune system. By blocking a protein called BRD4, the team hopes to enhance the ability of natural killer cells to destroy cancer cells, offering a potential new option for patients who don't respond to current therapies.

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