Research GISTs

Current research funded by GCUK and information for researchers on how to apply for grant funding

GIST Research

Research into GIST is evolving, and we know far more than we did ten years ago, yet there are still many unknowns:
  • We DO know that most GIST tumours have mutations in the KIT or PDGFRA genes, and we know how to identify which exon these mutations are in.
  • We DON'T know why some GISTs (around 10%) don't have mutations in these genes, (the wild type GISTs). Much more research is required into these rarer mutations including SDH-deficient, BRAF, NF1 and Quadruple WT and this is an areas of focus for us.
  • We DON'T know why paediatric GIST behaves differently from adult GIST.
  • We DON'T know why GISTs with mutations in different exons react differently to the common drugs.
  • We DON'T know why some GISTs behave more aggressively than others, even if they have the same mutations.
  • We DON'T know whether all patients need the same dose of drugs in order to get the same concentration in the blood.

Current research is trying to find answers to some of these questions, as well as continuing to search for new drugs or combinations of drugs which will offer patients total long-term remission or ultimately a cure.

IMPORTANT: Please can you help Professor Eamonn Maher with his Research Study?

Professor Eamonn Maher at the University of Cambridge would like to contact anyone who has had:

  • two or more primary GISTs or a GIST and another tumour, for inclusion in the multiple primary tumour study he is working on.

Though this combination of tumours is an uncommon event it can have several causes. Professor Maher and colleagues at the University of Cambridge are investigating how often this can be caused by inherited genetic changes.

They have requested that any GIST patients who fit the above criteria contact them directly for further information at: eamonn.maher@nhs.net

or write to: Prof. Eamonn Maher, Box 238, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge CB2 0QQ. Participants will need to provide a blood sample and clinical information but the study does not require a visit to Cambridge.

Apply for GCUK Research Funding

Funding to support UK based research projects.

Ongoing fundraising by patients, their families, friends and supporters allows GIST Cancer UK to offer funding to support UK based GIST related projects.

Any research applicant who is looking to conduct high quality research may be eligible for grant funding (either directly or in collaboration with other parties), from GIST Cancer UK.

GIST Cancer UK is working closely with Sarcoma UK and is supporting their 'Research Open Grant Round 2024'.  We are very interested in supporting research applications that:

Target the unmet needs of Paediatric, Adolescent, Wild-Type and Syndromic (PAWS) GIST patients, including:

  • improving our understanding of these subtypes
  • developing novel therapeutic strategies and treatments

Details of the bidding process can be found here.  The bidding closes on Thursday 5th September 2024.

The Award Process.

All research grant proposals are reviewed by our GIST Cancer UK Medical Advisory Board (MAB), a multidisciplinary team of UK based GIST specialists who offer their expertise on a voluntary basis. They operate independently from the charity’s trustees. All research proposals are reviewed by the MAB to ensure they:

  • Are relevant
  • Do not duplicate ongoing studies
  • Are adequately funded
  • Have a reasonable prospect of producing meaningful results

Proposed projects should be milestone-driven, with clearly defined outcomes and future value.

Medical Advisory Board

Our research priorities and the consideration of research proposals are guided by the views of our Medical Advisory Board which draws on the expertise of GIST specialists.

The Types of People & Institutions that we work with

We work with people and institutions from a range of disciplines to help find the cause of and cure for GIST cancer or research that will improve treatments for patients with this disease.

We are keen to work in partnership with other research funders, professional associations and the pharmaceutical and biotechnology industries. We are well disposed towards partnership funding within the requirements of a rigorous peer review process ,and encourage co-operative and collaborative research as a means of accelerating progress towards new treatments for patients.

Grant Awards

Grants are awarded once the MAB has made their recommendation and the trustees of GIST Cancer UK have agreed release of the funds.

Support beyond the project?

Whilst additional funding for research may be available, we cannot guarantee further financial support beyond the term of the agreed project.

Enquiries & Grant Applications

To make enquiries, apply for or submit your GIST research grant funding application:

Please email: research@gistcancer.org.uk

FIVE Current Research Grants Awarded

Please see below for current research grants that have been awarded, and our research papers page for previous projects funded by GCUK.

Deciphering chromosome instability dynamics in single-cell genomic evolution of gastrointestinal sarcoma tumours and its implications on TKI therapies

Prof. Sarah McClelland

Principal Investigator (PI): Prof. Sarah McClelland
Institution: Bart’s Cancer Institute, London
Funding awarded: £50,000 – in partnership with Sarcoma UK
Project Duration:  May 2024 - Nov 2024

Project Deliverables - Identifying the ‘Achilles heel’ of a genetic change in GIST to design better treatments
When cancer cells divide, they can lose or rearrange genetic material. This means that cellular processes are not controlled as they should be. This happens through a process called chromosome instability. GIST, which make up 20% of all sarcomas, has a particularly high amount of chromosomal instability, but we don’t know why this occurs.
The project team, led by Prof Sarah McClelland, aims to identify the ‘Achilles heel’ associated with chromosomal instability. This will help researchers design new therapies that work better in cancer cells. To do this they first need to understand the pathways that make this happen. They will use advanced technology to look at the DNA of individual cells and detect small changes that occur during the growth of a cell into a population of cells. They have already tested this method in different cancer types and will now apply it to GIST for the first time. They will also explore why some cell processes in GIST don’t work as they should.
This research will provide key answers as to how and why GISTs change their genomes. This is hugely important for this team and for other sarcoma scientists. It could help patients get the right subtype diagnosis, and feed into other research targeting the changes the team are exploring in this project. This could be through developing new ‘markers’ of prognosis and how well treatments are working, or to better or more tailored treatment options.
We are delighted to be funding this project in partnership with Sarcoma UK

Computational analysis of the tumour microenvironment of sarcomas of unmet clinical need for the identification of novel therapeutic strategies

Dr. Dean Bryant

Principal Investigator (PI): Dr. Dean Bryant
Institution: University of Southampton
Funding awarded: £114,182 – in partnership with Sarcoma UK
Project Duration: Oct 2024 - Apr 2028

Project Deliverables: Using the power of a supercomputer to improve outcomes in GIST
GISTS are the most common type of soft tissue sarcoma, making up about 20% of all sarcomas diagnosed. They consist of various cell types, including ‘normal’ cells that communicate with and support the cancer cells. These interacting cells are called the ‘tumour microenvironment’. This is important as it helps cancer cells grow and resist treatment.
In other cancers, we have a good understanding of how the tumour micro-environment works, which has led to better predictions about patient outcomes and the development of new treatment strategies. But we don’t have this knowledge yet for GIST.
Building on a previous Sarcoma UK research grant, the project team will use pioneering technologies that can study the tumour microenvironment in detail. They will identify what normal, non-cancer cells are present and are communicating with the cancer cells. This type of data analysis is hugely complex, but the team at the University of Southampton brings together experts in computer science and biology and has access to one of the most powerful supercomputers in the world to carry out this project. The project will also train a PhD student to become an expert in this field.
By understanding the tumour micro-environment in GIST, the team hope to be able to predict which GIST patients are likely to do well on certain treatments. In turn this will allow those likely to do worse to be offered different treatments.
We are delighted to be funding this project in partnership with Sarcoma UK.

Investigating the potential of deuterium metabolic imaging in SDH-deficient GIST

Dr. Mary McLean

Principal Investigator (PI): Dr Mary McLean
Funding awarded by GCUK: £20,475
Project Duration: October 2023 - September 2025

Project Deliverables -
MRS metabolic measurements have been shown preclinically to be a sensitive marker of therapy response in SDH-deficient tumours (Moog et al, 2023). With this new technique, monitoring changes following therapy could prove to be a valuable non-invasive biomarker of SDH tumour biology and could be utilised to detect early therapeutic responses or ‘therapy escape’ in other clinical trials or in clinical practice.

SSGXXII Scandinavian 3 versus 5 years adjuvant imatinib study - funding to extend the UK arm of this trial for further years enabling the recruitment of additional UK GIST patients to this Europe wide study.

Dr. Ramesh Bulusu

Principal Investigator (PI):  Dr V. Ramesh Bulusu
Funding awarded by GCUK: £94,963.75 (+ £6000 for patient expenses)
Project Duration: 1st April 2019 - September 2023

Project Deliverables - Despite the three years of imatinib as the standard duration of adjuvant therapy for patients with high-risk GIST following resection, many patients are still at a high risk of GIST recurrence and may benefit from further adjuvant imatinib therapy. The most important factors that predict the risk of GIST recurrence in a patient population treated with 3 years of adjuvant Imatinib are tumour mitotic count and GIST located at a non-gastric site. Extending the treatment of imatinib by a further 2 years may reduce their risk of GIST recurrence.
SSGXXII aims to determine if a further 2 years of adjuvant Imatinib may improve recurrence-free survival (RFS) of patients who are at high risk of GIST recurrence even after completion of the standard duration of 3 years of adjuvant Imatinib.

Derivation, maintenance and characterisation of cell lines from biopsies of PAWS-GIST.

Dr. Karen Sisley

Principal Investigator (PI): Dr Karen Sisley
Funding awarded by GCUK: £15,180
Project Duration: 1st August 2016 - ongoing

Project Deliverables - To derive short-term cultures from biopsies of PAWS-GIST that can be developed into fully characterized cell lines. In this project we have 2 aims: 1/ to continuously grow the initial cultures derived from PAWS-GIST and develop immortal cell lines for research purposes. 2/ to characterize the genetic background and factors that identifies them as PAWS-GIST.