Why do we need MANIFEST?

In the last 10 years, we’ve made huge progress in treating cancer with immunotherapy, which helps the body’s own immune system attack cancer cells. The immunotherapies we’re using today are revolutionary. For some people, it can completely eradicate the disease. But for others, it just doesn’t work. As an oncologist, I see the triumph, but I also see the failure.

We urgently need to understand why the immune system is failing to be stimulated in some people. What’s standing in the way? And can we remove those barriers?

Do you know what any of the barriers are?

One is a lack of testable and usable biomarkers, which are signs in the body that suggest to doctors whether someone will benefit from a drug. Identifying biomarkers could help make immunotherapy treatments more personalised.

With the help of our partners, including Cancer Research UK’s National Biomarker Centre and Manchester Institute, we’re aiming to discover which biomarkers are present in people before they start immunotherapy, and develop tests to monitor them during their treatment.

Where do the industry partners come in?

They bring to the table their expertise in new technologies and immunotherapies. And they’ll help us translate any discoveries we make in the lab into something that can be used in the clinic.

How many cancer patients will you analyse?

The initial testing will include 3,000 patients who have already completed their treatment and 3,000 who are starting treatment for breast, bladder, kidney and skin cancer. Over four years, we’ll collect data from them using procedures like blood tests and tissue biopsies.

The team will analyse different aspects of tumours, including their genetic makeup, where they are in relation to immune cells and what chemical signals they’re producing. They’ll also look at the immune cells in each patient’s bloodstream and analyse their gut microbiome.

What do you hope you’ll achieve?

By collaborating in this way with cancer patients, the NHS, academia and industry, and at this scale, I believe we have a unique opportunity to make immunotherapy work for more people and potentially save millions of lives.