Huddersfield could be at the centre of a worldwide cancer breakthrough.

That’s the hope of academics at the University of Huddersfield and fundraisers with the Laura Crane Youth Cancer Trust who have formed a partnership to fund the research and development of new treatments specifically for cancer in children and young people.

The university’s Dr Nik Georgopoulos is developing a new form of treatment based on the protein molecule named CD40 (Cluster of Differentiation 40), which destroys cancerous tumours without harming healthy cell tissue.

When the Trust learned about the breakthrough it was keen to offer support to him and his team.

Its funding pays for specially-appointed doctoral researcher, postgraduate Myria Ioannou, who will focus on how the new treatment regime can be targeted at cancer in young people. The Trust will also contribute towards the major upgrade of a scanning device that is crucial to Dr Georgopoulos’s laboratory research.

Dr Georgopoulos said: “So far we have looked at cancers that affect mainly adults so this is a great opportunity for us to delve into cancers affecting mainly young people.

“We are trying to understand if CD40 is capable of killing tumour cells that specifically originate from people who are younger. We need to find out if it is possible to develop a therapy especially for them.”

Laura Crane Youth Cancer Trust

The Laura Crane Youth Cancer Trust, founded in Huddersfield in 1996, commemorates a local girl who lost her fight against cancer age just 17. Although still based in Huddersfield it is now a national charity that funds medical research specifically into cancer affecting teenagers and young adults.

Trust manager Pamela Thornes said that funding for the collaboration with the university comes from the newly-created Jacquie Roeder Research Fund, named after Laura’s mum, who founded the charity.

“First and foremost Jacquie set up Laura’s charity to fund research into cancers in the 13-24 age group as there was no other organisation focusing on cancer research in that age group,” said Pamela.

“Sadly Jacquie lost her own fight against cancer earlier this year. The Jacquie Roeder Research Fund is our tribute to her. We are so happy and excited at the prospect of the partnership we are developing and we hope to see it grow in the future.”

Dr Georgopoulos added: “I am fully aware of the effort and dedication it takes to raise funds to support research. Therefore, I am absolutely delighted and deeply honoured that the charity will be supporting our work.”