Oxford and Manchester Secure Major UK Funding for AI-Driven Personalised Cancer Vaccines and Immunotherapy Research
核心洞察
University of Oxford researchers gain MRC funding and access to the DAWN supercomputer to develop AI-designed personalised mRNA cancer vaccines (搜索) through the UK Cancer (搜索) Vaccine AI & Supercomputing Project.
Cancer Research UK increases annual investment in its Manchester Institute by £6 million, bringing total funding to over £17 million, to expand immunology, immunotherapy, and AI-powered cancer (搜索) research.
The Oxford-led consortium, now over 2,500 members, uses the CIARA AI scientist platform to analyse tumour biology and predict vaccine targets capable of generating strong anti-cancer (搜索) immune responses.
Two major UK research hubs have secured substantial new funding to harness artificial intelligence and advanced immunotherapy in the fight against cancer (搜索), marking a significant acceleration in the push toward personalised oncology treatments.
At the University of Oxford, the UK Cancer (搜索) Vaccine AI & Supercomputing Project has received funding from the Medical Research Council (MRC) to advance the development of a "new generation of personalised cancer vaccines" using AI. The team had already been granted access in August to Dawn, one of the UK's most powerful AI supercomputers, and the new MRC support will fund the next phase, including equipment to manufacture experimental mRNA cancer vaccines (搜索) and test whether AI-selected targets can provoke robust anti-cancer immune responses.
The Oxford programme has grown into a consortium of more than 2,500 scientists, clinicians, technologists, patients, and partners. At its core is CIARA, an AI scientist platform designed to analyse tumour biology, coordinate laboratory experiments, and help researchers develop personalised cancer (搜索) vaccines. The team has been developing biological AI models using the United Kingdom's sovereign AI systems, including the DAWN and ISAMBARD-AI supercomputers, which the university said allow researchers to analyse "vast amounts of cancer and immune data at a scale previously impossible within conventional university computing environments."
Dr Lennard Lee, consultant medical oncologist and project lead, addressed a question frequently posed by patients: whether AI would "genuinely make a difference for people with cancer (搜索)." He stated, "What this programme has demonstrated in a remarkably short period of time is that the United Kingdom possesses world-class sovereign AI systems. It is now possible to move much faster from AI prediction towards real-world personalised drug development." The project is also supported by UK Research and Innovation (UKRI), the Advanced Research and Invention Agency (ARIA), the UK Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, and Cancer Research UK.
Manchester Institute receives £6 million annual funding boost
In parallel, Cancer Research UK has increased its annual investment in the charity's Manchester Institute by £6 million, taking total funding from £11 million to more than £17 million and helping to create up to 100 new research jobs. The investment will allow scientists at the Institute, within the University of Manchester, to expand research into immunology and immunotherapy — treatments that help the body's own immune system recognise and attack cancer (搜索).
The funding will also support research into using AI and advanced data science to better understand how cancers develop, spread, and respond to treatment. Researchers hope the work will ultimately lead to new ways to detect, diagnose, and treat the disease, which affects around 45,800 people across the North West of England every year.
Recently appointed Director of the Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute, Professor Samra Turajlić, said: "Having recently left London to move to Manchester, I am delighted that Cancer Research UK recognises the level of expertise at the Institute and the power of our cancer (搜索) research partnerships in Manchester. The extra investment will make a huge difference moving forwards and will help us continue to attract the brightest minds to the city."
Professor Turajlić added: "While we are living in an exciting time for research, nearly 1 in 2 people are set to be diagnosed with cancer (搜索) in their lifetime, so there's still much more to do. Patients will be at the very heart of everything we do and the Institute will be a real engine room for discovery."
Expanding the frontiers of immunology and AI
Among the areas set to benefit from the Manchester funding is immunology research, which focuses on understanding how the immune system fights cancer (搜索) and how treatments can strengthen that response. Scientists at the institute are studying how inflammation affects the body's ability to tackle cancer naturally and through immunotherapy treatments. Researchers are also investigating whether the gut microbiome — the billions of microorganisms that live inside the digestive system — could influence how the immune system responds to cancer.
Elsewhere, researchers working on blood cancers are exploring ways to improve treatments for aggressive forms of leukaemia (搜索) and investigating how specialist white blood cells can be grown in a laboratory for use in future immunotherapy treatments. The funding will also strengthen the institute's growing use of AI, with scientists using the technology to analyse vast amounts of data from tumours, helping them identify cancer (搜索) cells and understand why cancers behave differently between patients. Researchers believe these approaches could help deliver more personalised treatments in the future.
Based in the Paterson building in Withington, the Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute is directly connected to The Christie hospital, allowing patient samples to be transferred from hospital to laboratory within minutes. Professor Fiona Blackhall, Director of Research and Innovation and Consultant Medical Oncologist at The Christie NHS Foundation Trust, said: "What makes Manchester such an important hub for cancer (搜索) research is that our research facilities are located on the site of one of Europe's leading cancer hospitals, The Christie. This means we can carry out research at every stage – from basic science to trials involving patients – all on one site."
Professor Ashley Blom, Vice President and Dean of Biology, Medicine and Health at The University of Manchester, said the funding will help scientists "turn bold ideas into breakthroughs that can change what's possible for patients," adding that the CRUK Manchester Institute "sits at the heart of the city's cancer (搜索) research strength, uniting world-class scientists under one mission."
Patient perspective
Sharon Quennell, from Chadderton, was diagnosed with breast cancer (搜索) in 2000 at the age of 36 and last year celebrated being cancer (搜索)-free for 25 years. Now 62, she works at North Manchester General Hospital. Sharon said: "The extra investment is amazing news for Manchester. As a former cancer patient, I am always humbled to hear about the exciting research work happening on my doorstep."
Part of the new funding will be used to recruit up to eight senior researchers, who will establish new labs that will attract around 100 additional researchers and research staff to Manchester.