UCL Cancer Institute

The UCL Cancer Institute opened in 2007 representing a £50M investment and housing over 350 scientific staff. Particular areas of expertise include epigenetics and genomics, gene and cellular therapy, stem cells, signal transduction and transcription factors,viral oncology and targeted therapies. The main GCLP lab is also located in the Cancer Institute. The GCLP Facility contains a large assay lab for pharmacokinetic (PK) and pharmacodynamic studies, a lab for handling radioactive trial samples, a separate PCR lab, a monitored sample storage area, a microscope room and a clinical sample-handling lab which is linked to the Clinical Research Facility. PK studies are undertaken using primarily HPLC (UV and fluorescence) and LC-MS/MS. A wide range of pharmacodynamic studies are validated and performed with a particular expertise in circulating tumour cells, Comet and DNA damage response foci, PCR and ELISA-based assays.