King’s College London Confidence in Concept 2017
Lead Research Organisation:
King's College London
Department Name: UNLISTED
Abstract
Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.
Technical Summary
The Confidence in Concept scheme is a key part of MRC’s translational research strategy and provides annual awards to institutions, to be used flexibly to support the earliest stages of multiple translational research projects. The award can be used by the institution to support a number of preliminary-stage translational projects. The projects supported should aim to provide sufficient preliminary data to establish the viability of an approach –– before seeking more substantive funding. It is intended to accelerate the transition from discovery research to translational development projects by supporting preliminary work or feasibility studies to establish the viability of an approach.
Organisations
Publications
Akter A
(2023)
Radiometal chelators for infection diagnostics.
in Frontiers in nuclear medicine (Lausanne, Switzerland)
Baker C
(2022)
Intraoperative Needle Tip Tracking with an Integrated Fibre-Optic Ultrasound Sensor
in Sensors
Borges JB
(2020)
Real-time effects of PEEP and tidal volume on regional ventilation and perfusion in experimental lung injury.
in Intensive care medicine experimental
Cechin L
(2024)
Waist circumference and cardiometabolic parameters in people of African/Caribbean ancestry with HIV in South London (CKD-AFRICA study)
in International Journal of STD & AIDS
Chatzikyriakou P
(2021)
Case report of a man with multiple paragangliomas and pathogenic germline variants in both NF1 and SDHD.
in Cancer genetics
Chatzikyriakou P
(2023)
A comprehensive characterisation of phaeochromocytoma and paraganglioma tumours through histone protein profiling, DNA methylation and transcriptomic analysis genome wide.
in Clinical epigenetics
Contreras Castillo S
(2021)
Hydroxycarbamide effects on DNA methylation and gene expression in myeloproliferative neoplasms.
in Genome research
Crockett DC
(2020)
Validating the inspired sinewave technique to measure the volume of the 'baby lung' in a porcine lung-injury model.
in British journal of anaesthesia
Crockett DC
(2019)
Tidal changes in PaO2 and their relationship to cyclical lung recruitment/derecruitment in a porcine lung injury model.
in British journal of anaesthesia
| Description | 68Ga-siderophores PET/CT imaging in combination with current diagnostic tools to improve early diagnosis of invasive fungal infections (IFIs) |
| Amount | $69,900 (USD) |
| Funding ID | 69506707 |
| Organisation | Pfizer Global R & D |
| Sector | Private |
| Country | United States |
| Start | 02/2022 |
| End | 01/2023 |
| Description | CANnabidiol for Parkinson's Disease Psychosis (CAN-PDP). |
| Amount | £1,209,674 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Parkinson's UK |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 12/2019 |
| End | 12/2024 |
| Description | Can AI guided by in-crystal fragment screening crack the protein-protein interaction inhibitors problem? |
| Amount | £9,100 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | E21-2755995269 |
| Organisation | Royal Society of Chemistry |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 02/2022 |
| End | 02/2023 |
| Description | Cannabidiol for behaviour symptoms in Alzheimer's disease |
| Amount | £9,400 (GBP) |
| Organisation | King's College London |
| Department | Psychiatry Research Trust |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2020 |
| End | 12/2022 |
| Description | Cannabidiol for psychosis in Alzheimer's dementia |
| Amount | £14,850 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | M893 |
| Organisation | Rosetrees Trust |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 05/2021 |
| End | 05/2022 |
| Description | Chemistry and medicinal chemistry of tris(hydroxypyridinone) (THP) and derivatives thereof |
| Amount | £50,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Theragnostics Limited |
| Sector | Private |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 05/2018 |
| End | 05/2019 |
| Description | Clinical and pharmaco-genetic predictors of weight gain on ART in people of African ancestry living with HIV |
| Amount | £426,279 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | CO-UK-985-6622 |
| Organisation | Gilead Sciences, Inc. |
| Sector | Private |
| Country | United States |
| Start | 01/2023 |
| End | 07/2024 |
| Description | Continuous arterial oxygen monitoring to personalise ventilatory strategies |
| Amount | £33,412 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Association of Anaesthetists of Great Britain and Ireland (AAGBI) |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 02/2020 |
| End | 08/2020 |
| Description | Development on novel PET probes for cancer and infection imaging |
| Amount | £20,000 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | RGS\R1\221250 |
| Organisation | The Royal Society |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 03/2022 |
| End | 03/2023 |
| Description | Fine-tuning islet NAD levels to prevent beta-cell de-differentiation in Type 2 diabetes |
| Amount | £269,638 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | 18/0005865 |
| Organisation | Diabetes UK |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 02/2019 |
| End | 01/2022 |
| Description | Functional Genomic Analysis And Characterisation Of Pheochromocytomas And Paragangliomas |
| Amount | £50,000 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | 556520 |
| Organisation | Bernice Bibby Research Trust |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 09/2023 |
| End | 12/2026 |
| Description | Gen-AFRICA: COVID-19 (COVID-19 IN PEOPLE OF AFRICAN ANCESTRY WITH HIV) |
| Amount | £169,445 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | IN-UK-983-6053 |
| Organisation | Gilead Sciences, Inc. |
| Sector | Private |
| Country | United States |
| Start | 03/2021 |
| End | 02/2022 |
| Description | Impact of cold exposure in conjunction with dietary modification on metabolic regulation in children with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease |
| Amount | £48,283 (GBP) |
| Organisation | GUTS UK |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 09/2020 |
| End | 09/2021 |
| Description | Improving beta cell function by mesenchymal stromal cells: novel mechanisms and cell-free translational potential |
| Amount | £347,087 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | MR/W002876/1 |
| Organisation | Medical Research Council (MRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 09/2021 |
| End | 09/2023 |
| Description | Individualised Risk prediction of adverse neonatal outcome in pregnancies that deliver preterm using advanced MRI techniques and machine learning |
| Amount | £1,322,215 (GBP) |
| Organisation | National Institute for Health Research |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 11/2021 |
| End | 10/2025 |
| Description | Inhibiting NAMPT to improve beta-cell survival and function in type 1 diabetes |
| Amount | £83,266 (GBP) |
| Organisation | European Association for the Study of Diabetes (EASD) |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | Germany |
| Start | 03/2021 |
| End | 02/2022 |
| Description | Multiple Long Term Conditions Challenge Fund |
| Amount | £1,046,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Guy’s & St Thomas’ Charity |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2020 |
| End | 01/2022 |
| Description | NIHR i4i |
| Amount | £482,933 (GBP) |
| Organisation | National Institute for Health Research |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 03/2020 |
| End | 08/2023 |
| Description | Novel radiopharmaceuticals for selective and efficient tumour cell killing. |
| Amount | £100,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Medical Research Council (MRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 08/2018 |
| End | 09/2022 |
| Description | Realising the potential of 7T MRI as a clinical tool for paediatric neuroimaging |
| Amount | £224,981 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Great Ormond Street Hospital Children's Charity (GOSHCC) |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 05/2019 |
| End | 07/2022 |
| Title | PanDDA analysis group deposition Form1 MAP kinase p38-alpha |
| Description | X-ray structures of MAP kinase p38-alpha in complex with fragments |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2020 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | The experimental model are used to train AI algorithm to develop small molecules to interfere with the biological activity of the kinase |
| URL | https://www.rcsb.org/structure/5R9Q |
| Title | PanDDA analysis group deposition INTERLEUKIN-1 BETA |
| Description | X-ray structures of ligands in complex with IL1b |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2020 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | The experimental structures are used to train AI algorithm to develop small molecules able to interfere with the biological activity of the cytokine |
| URL | https://www.rcsb.org/structure/5R86 |
| Description | Cyclica Academic Partnership Program (CAPP) Collaboration Agreement |
| Organisation | Cyclica |
| Country | Canada |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | We have provided the experimental models used by Cyclica algorithm |
| Collaborator Contribution | Our laboratory has specified Interleukin-1ß (IL1B) and Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinase p38a (MK14) as separate targets of interest ("Targets"). In a feasibility assessment, Cyclica applied scientists have assessed available structural models, built appropriate models as needed, and designated appropriate binding sites. Using this preliminary work, Cyclica applied scientists have conducted a proteome screening through Ligand Design on the Targets. Cyclica scientists have evaluated putative binders identified by Ligand Design and selected the 120 compounds with desirable polypharmacological, pharmacokinetic, and physicochemical properties. |
| Impact | The experimental validation of the in-silico analysis is still ongoing |
| Start Year | 2021 |
| Description | Intermittent cold exposure delivered via a cooling garment |
| Organisation | Paxman Coolers Ltd |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | We designed a research project to study the impact of intermittent cold exposure delivered via a cooling garment on brown adipose tissue function and metabolic phenotypes in children and young people. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The partner designed a cooling jacket that will use cooling technology designed by the company Paxman Coolers Ltd |
| Impact | The cooling jacket has been designed and will be used for research from April 2021. All participants for Stage 1 of the study have been recruited. The data are being analysed and will be submitted for publication over the next 6 months. In parallel children with NAFLD are being recruited for Stage 2 of the study. |
| Start Year | 2019 |
| Description | Ose Immunotherapeutics |
| Organisation | OSE Immunotherapeutics SA |
| Country | France |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | NA |
| Collaborator Contribution | Access to IL-7Ra blocking antibody (OSE-127 |
| Impact | NA |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | Oxford Optronix |
| Organisation | Oxford Optronix Ltd |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | Use of Oxylite data acquisition system |
| Collaborator Contribution | Partnership on follow on grants |
| Impact | Partnership on follow on grants |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Description | Siemens Healthineers collaboration to develop novel imaging strategies for hepatic steatosis and adipose tissue phenotypes in children and young people. |
| Organisation | Siemens Healthcare |
| Country | Germany |
| Sector | Private |
| PI Contribution | We generated pilot data to support the study proposal that cold exposure will induce brown adipose tissue, and this will result in improved metabolic parameters in obese children and young people with hepatic steatosi. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Design of MRI protocols to phenotype liver and adipose tissue phenotypes. |
| Impact | Stage 1 of the study is now completed, i.e. to evaluate the impact of wearing a cooling jacket on brown adipose tissue function in young adults. This will be written up as a manuscript over the next 6 months. In parallel studies of children with NAFLD will commence as soon as an extension to our Siemens license has been approved. |
| Start Year | 2020 |
| Description | Tuberculosis Biomarker |
| Organisation | London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM) |
| Department | TB Centre |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | This funding has allowed to set up extracellular vesicle isolation from small plasma samples (down to 250 microliter) at KCL. This project is still undergoing and we hope to generate meaningful data for TB pathophysiology in 2020. It has also allowed me to set up a new method at KCL that has undertaken a great deal of technical and admin work (ethics, biological safety, etc). At the moment we are hoping to establish the 'confidence in concept' early in 2020. Bringing samples from Africa has proven very challenging and we have set up all the technical work using healthy samples employing our 5th Floor Tower Wing ethics and has enabled a new collaboration with the University of Southampton as well as St Thomas' (Prof Paul Elkington and Dr Marc Tebruegge). This project has led me to collaborate and co-supervise a PhD student with Dr Bahijja Raimi-Abraham (KCL) across campus as we share interests in TB research. In addition, we plan on applying for future grants/projects together. |
| Collaborator Contribution | They have collected 50 clinical samples as well as clinical data form patients with TB. We will leverage on the infrastucture that TREATS has set up in subsaharian Africa. These are 150 serum samples - 100 in kind contribution from TREATS. TREATS was funded by a 12.5M EUR grant; the samples that they will provide to this project is a small subset from their well-characterised cohort, thus, the in-kind contribution is only a figure but I cannot really estimate. |
| Impact | Grant 'Identifying a novel tuberculosis diagnostic biomarker using human blood extracellular vesicles' from the MRC Confidence in Concept Scheme. The multidisciplinary nature of the award combines clinical (sample/data collection), molecular (extracellular vesicle extraction and characterisation) and bioinformatics (processing and integration of the sequencing data with clinical outcomes) |
| Start Year | 2018 |
| Title | Chimeric Antigen Receptor (CAR) Treg constructs |
| Description | Insertion of STAT5 signalling motifs into the CAR constructs delivers pro-survival signals that enhance the viability and suppressive function of Tregs recognizing an antigen through the CAR. |
| IP Reference | PCT/GB2019/052422 |
| Protection | Patent application published |
| Year Protection Granted | |
| Licensed | Yes |
| Impact | Spin Out and follow on funding: Quell Therapeutics (https://quell-tx.com/) with a £34M investment from Syncona Ltd |
| Company Name | Apini Therapeutics |
| Description | Apini Therapeutics develops small molecule compounds which aim to treat chronic inflammatory diseases. |
| Year Established | 2021 |
| Impact | N/A |
| Company Name | AviadoBio |
| Description | AviadoBio develops gene therapy treatments for neurodegenerative diseases. |
| Year Established | 2019 |
| Impact | Have raised £3m from charitable sources and made great progress in generating unencumbered intellectual property. |
| Website | https://aviadobio.com/ |
| Company Name | Quell Therapeutics |
| Description | Quell Therapeutics develops Treg cell therapies for the treatment of a range of different conditions, such as solid organ transplant rejection. |
| Year Established | 2019 |
| Impact | Quell has secured £34M Series A financing from Syncona. |
| Website | https://quell-tx.com/ |
| Description | Focus groups with children and young people to establish their views on cold exposure to improve cardiometabolic health |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Patients, carers and/or patient groups |
| Results and Impact | Focus groups with children and young people to establish their views on the use of a cooling garment to deliver intermittent cold exposure with the aim of inducing brown adipose tissue to improve cardiometabolic health. This activity is for children/young people with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (aged 8 and older) and health controls of the same age. We are keen to modify the study protocols according to the views of these groups. The views of the parents of children aged 8+ will also be obtained. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | Invited speaker at RCPsych Faculty of Old Age Psychiatry Annual Conference |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The presentation titled 'Cannabinoid medications for neurodegenerative disorders' sparked interest and discussion amongst the Old age psychiatrists who attended the conference. Some expressed interest to be involved in our projects if we needed more NHS sites for recruitment to our trials. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Policy Lab |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | This multidisciplinary 1-day Policy Lab was organised in collaboration with the King's Policy Institute to discuss the idea that cold exposure could be used as an early life intervention to improve cardiometabolic health. The meeting included approximately 40 stakeholders from a variety of backgrounds, including clinicians, scientists, policy makers, school and community groups, charity representatives, the Science Gallery London and research strategy teams. It was agreed that either a targeted experimental medicine approach or a more subtle reduction in ambient temperature could result in induction of brown adipose tissue (or beiging of white adipose tissue) that would in turn improve cardiometabolic health by reducing serum and hepatic lipids and improving susceptibility to diabetes mellitus. A major output was to design a template for a multidisciplinary, collaborative programme of work to address the quesiton of whether intermittent cold exposure is an effective early life intervention to improve metabolic health. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2018 |