Donors Driving Discovery

Treatment Showing Remarkable Promise in Preclinical Trials

Thanks to your support, philanthropy is steadily driving progress towards new and gentler treatments for young people with sarcomas such as bone and muscle cancers.

Across the world, treatments for sarcomas haven’t advanced substantially since the 1970s. Dr Darrell Green (BIO06) and his team are working tirelessly to transform treatment of bone cancer in children, adolescents and young adults. Their research is developing kinder, more effective treatments – and it’s being powered by the generosity of donors, including The Sir William Coxen Trust Fund.

For Dr Green, this work is deeply personal. “My best friend, Ben, died of primary bone cancer just before his 14th birthday,” he recalls. “I’ve dedicated my life to ensuring that there are gentler and more effective treatments available for young people in the future.”

His research has led to the development of a promising new drug called Bensofib (also known as CADD522). It is a treatment designed to target cancer cells without harming healthy tissue – and therefore not causing the aggressive side effects that current chemotherapy treatments often cause.

Since we reported on Bensofib in Pioneer more than two years ago, the drug has shown remarkable promise in preclinical trials, significantly reducing tumour size and preventing cancer spread with no visible side effects.

Philanthropy driving progress

Development and testing take years – and is incredibly expensive. The Sir William Coxen Trust Fund has been a steadfast supporter of this vital work.

“The Trust’s willingness to back high-risk, high-reward research has been game-changing,” says Dr Green. “Without their funding, we wouldn’t be where we are today. Tumours always fight back.

If one treatment beats their plan A, they will switch to plan B. We need to learn how these tumours work at a molecular level and then design targeted therapies to knock out their plans A, B, C and D.”

Founded by Sir William Coxen, a past Lord Mayor of the City of London, the Trust’s original mission was to support orthopaedic hospitals but over the years its focus has expanded to include cutting-edge research like Dr Green’s. The Trust’s commitment to funding research in areas like paediatric orthopaedics and cancer treatment is driven by the belief that impactful breakthroughs often require courage to fund innovative, early-stage research.

Alderman Masojada, Chair of The Sir William Coxen Trust Fund, told Pioneer, “Philanthropy plays a key role in funding research that might not be suitable for traditional funding sources. We are incredibly proud to be supporting the research of Dr Green and his team.”

Recently, the Trust’s generosity has also provided year one funding for Emma Bull, a PhD student at UEA transitioning to become a postdoctoral researcher working alongside Dr Green.

With funding secured, Emma is now exploring how a gene known as LNC441, which she identified in her PhD studies, may hold the key to stopping sarcoma’s spread. Early results show that circulating tumour cells (CTCs) – the cells that spread cancer around the body – struggle to survive without this gene, making it a highly promising target for future treatments.

“These cells are notoriously difficult to isolate,” Emma explains. “For every billion normal blood cells, there’s typically only one circulating tumour cell – yet understanding how these cells spread cancer is crucial.”

Building momentum for the future

Our researchers are working on numerous avenues for research and this multi-layered approach is vital.

Dr Green and his team have already shown that Bensofib can treat cancer effectively without the harmful side effects of chemotherapy. The next critical step is to ensure the drug’s safety. This means rigorous toxicity testing - not just to confirm that it won’t cause harm in patients, but to understand how the drug behaves inside the body.

How is it absorbed? Does it remain in the system too long, or break down into other substances? Would it be more effective taken as a pill or injection? These are the key questions the team must answer before moving forward with human trials. If the drug passes these tests, the team hopes to be one step closer to delivering a life-changing treatment for young patients facing this aggressive disease.

Re-imagining treatment options

So what’s next? Alongside continuing testing for Bensofib, researchers are making exciting discoveries that could yield powerful treatments:

• Their new findings about the genetics of cancer cells have opened up research into whether targeting LNC441 in cells could stop osteosarcomas and Ewing sarcomas from spreading through the body.

• Research on small RNA and microRNA molecules in CTCs is helping the team to understand the cells’ make-up and how to disrupt them.

• Findings that the shape of cancer genes can vary and affect how well patients respond to treatment offers hope for treatments for young people’s sarcomas and potentially other types of cancer too.

“The success of any project can be measured by the people who are driving it. When we heard there was an opportunity to retain Emma for her postdoctoral research, we wanted to ensure continuity of key staff.”

Alderman Masojada

Chair of The Sir William Coxen Trust Fund

• £1.18m - Funds raised through philanthropy to date.

• £110k - Funding required for Emma Bull to complete her research.

• £60k - To purchase a new circulating tumour cell (CTC) extraction machine for the lab.

• £500k - Funding required to complete toxicity testing for Bensofib.

• £180k - To fund a bioinformatician to help with all projects for 3 years.

Community of support

Ground-breaking research is a community effort. Our researchers wish to thank every generous donor, as well as the wider community of supporters including alumni and families.

Find out more about supporting Dr Green's research.