Liver and Pancreaticobiliary Cancer

Our work 

Our mission at the Pereira/Acedo Group (@PereiraAcedoLab) is to lead the way in advancing the understanding and management of liver, pancreatic, and biliary diseases. With a strong emphasis on clinical excellence and translational research, we are dedicated to unravelling the complexities of these challenging conditions, seeking minimally invasive early detection biomarkers, and developing novel therapeutic strategies to improve patient outcomes.

As a major education site, we are committed to nurturing the next generation of medical professionals, providing comprehensive training. Collaborating with esteemed institutions globally, we aim to create a dynamic, multicultural research hub that fosters innovative solutions and translates scientific discoveries into tangible improvements in patient care.

Translational research

This research focuses on the discovery and validation of early detection biomarkers and the evaluation of novel therapeutic strategies to improve the outcome of patients with pancreaticobiliary diseases (e.g. cholangiocarcinoma and pancreatic cancer).

Our work includes:

• Biomarker discovery and validation for early diagnosis 
• Biomarkers as surrogate markers for treatment response 
• Serum, tissue and urine biobank collection 
• Nanoparticles as diagnostic tools and drug delivery systems
• 3D disease models (e.g. scaffolds, organoids) 
• Light-based and minimally-invasive therapies
• Imaging studies
• Spatial Transcriptomics

UCL Spatial Biology Hub (SBH) at ILDH

We provide service for studies involving the use of spatial biology (currently Nanostring GeoMx and CosMx technologies). Get in touch if you are interested. Supporting staff:

• Dr Pilar Acedo: SBH Academic Lead
• Reuben Asher: SBH Research Technician 
• Daniel Parra: Research Assistant at Pereira/Acedo Lab

Contact Dr Pilar Acedo: p.nunez@ucl.ac.uk

Clinical activities

A. Clinical trials 

Our trials are based on testing Novel Therapies such as endoscopic ultrasound-guided radiofrequency ablation or irreversible electroporation (IRE).

UroPanc - Early detection of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) using a panel of biomarkers (ClinicalTrials.gov # NCT04449406).

The £1.6m PCRF funded study is designed to further validate a previously identified urinary biomarkers and the algorithm for their analysis, PancRISK. We aim to establish the sensitivity and specificity of the biomarkers and how accurately will PancRISK stratify patients for further clinical work up. We will also establish if the urine test will enable early detection of PDAC, and finally, what would be the potential economic and social impact of using this test (collaboration with Imperial College, London). Samples are being collected at several sites including UCLH, Royal London Hospital, the University of Liverpool (EUROPAC) and San Raffaele Hospital (Milan).

B. Clinical Studies

ADEPTS - Accelerated Diagnosis in neuroEndocrine and Pancreatic TumourS

In this study, doctors and researchers want to look at blood, urine and tissue samples from people who have symptoms similar to those with:

• Pancreatic cancer
• Neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) of the pancreas
• Bile duct cancer 

In most cases, such symptoms are caused by many other benign conditions. But it is vital to ensure that those that are due to cancer are diagnosed early. We hope the results of this study will help develop new tests to diagnose pancreatic cancer and NETs of the pancreas at an early stage.

The Pereira/Acedo Group

PhD Students

• Kyra Fraser
• Dr Daniel-Clement Osei-Bordom
• Ismahan Mahamed
• Conrad Shaw

Master's and Visiting Students

• Sophia Lau (UCL)
• Vaishvi Dalal (UCL)
• Paula Serra (UFV)
• Judit Cucurull Pastor (EHU)

Selected publications

1. Rosado M, Yang Y, Parra-Sanchez D, Acedo P, et al (2025). Breakthroughs in nanoparticle-based strategies for pancreatic cancer therapy. Biochem Pharmacol. 2025 Feb 1;232: 116685.
2. Ney A, Nené NR, Sedlak E, Acedo P, Pereira S, et al (2024). Identification of a serum proteomic biomarker panel using diagnosis specific ensemble learning and symptoms for early pancreatic cancer detection. PLOS Comput Biol. 2024 Aug 29;20(8): e1012408.
3. Rushbrook SM, Kendall TJ ... Pereira SP, et al (2024). British Society of Gastroenterology guidelines for the diagnosis and management of cholangiocarcinoma. Gut. 2024;73(1): 16-46.
4. Burra P, Amil Dias J, Botos A, Acedo P, et al (2024). Advancing patient-centered care: Recent developments in UEG’s patient relations. United Eur Gastroenterol J. 2024;12(6): 816-8.
5. Beyer F, Rice S, Pereira S, et al (2023). Clinical and Cost Effectiveness of Endoscopic Bipolar Radiofrequency Ablation for the Treatment of Malignancy Biliary Obstruction: A Systematic Review. Health Technol Assess. 27 (7): 1-118.
6. Papaefthymiou A, Johnson G, Pereira S et al (2023). Performance and Safety of EUS Ablation Techniques for Pancreatic Cystic Lesions: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. Cancers (Basels). 15(9): 2627. 
7. Nené N, Ney A, Pereira S, et al (2023). Serum Biomarker-Based Early Detection of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinomas with Ensemble Learning. Nature. Communications Medicine. 3(10).
8. Al-Akkad W, Acedo P, Ney A, Pereira S, et al (2022). Tissue-Specific Human Extracellular Matrix Scaffolds Promote Pancreatic Tumour Progression and Chemotherapy Resistance. Cells. 11(22), 3652.
9. Machicado J, Napoleon B, Pereira S, et al (2022). Accuracy and Agreement of a Large Panel of Endosonographers for Endomicroscopy-Guided Virtual Biopsy of Pancreatic Cystic Lesions. Pancreatology. 22(7): 994-1002.
10. Ney A, Garcia-Sampedro A, Acedo P, Pereira S, et al (2021). Biliary Structures and Cholangiocarcinoma - Untangling a Diagnostic Conundrum. Front Oncol. 11: 699401.
11. Marin J, Prete MG, Acedo P, et al (2021). Correction: Current and Novel Therapeutic Opportunities for Systemic Therapy in Biliary Cancer. Br J Cancer. 125(6): 904.
12. Garcia-Sampedro A, Acedo P & Pereira S. (2021) Established and Emerging Biomarkers for Prediction, Early Detection, and Prognostication of Cholangiocarcinoma. Springer.
13. Gonzalez-Valdivieso J, Garcia-Sampedro A, Pereira S, Acedo P, et al (2021). Smart Nanoparticles as Advanced Anti-Akt Kinase Delivery Systems for Pancreatic Cancer Therapy. ACS Appl Mater Interfaces. 13(47): 55790-55805.
14. Garcia-Sampedro A, Ney A, Mahamed I, Acedo P, et al (2021). The State-of-the-Art of Phase II/III Clinical Trials for Targeted Pancreatic Cancer Therapies. J Clin Med. 10(4):566.
15. Skuja V, Nakov R, Acedo P, et al (2020). How to start a Young GI Section in Your Country: A Cookbook. United European Gastroenterology Journal. 8(3); 355-358.
16. Garcia-Sampedro A, Mahamed I, Acedo P, et al (2020). Multimodal Use of the Porphyrin TMPyP: From Cancer Therapy to Antimicrobial Applications. Journal of Porphyrins and Phthalocyanines. 23(01); 11-27
17. Heinrich H, Rodriguez-lago I, Acedo P, et al (2020). Young GI Societies in Europe: 2019 update. United European Gastroenterology Journal. 8(2); 227-232.
18. Debernardi S, O'Brien H ... Ney A, Pereira S, et al (2020). A combination of urinary biomarker panel and PancRISK score for earlier detection of pancreatic cancer: A case–control study. PLOS Med. 2020 Dec 10;17(12): e1003489.

Funding and partnerships 

Active Grants

• The Bavarian Centre for Cancer Research. Project: Biomarker Screening for Severe Neural Invasion in Pancreatic Cancer to Inform Tumor Staging and Risk Assessment in Anatomically Resectable Patients. Collaboration with the Technical University of Munich (Germany).
• CRUK ACED - International Alliance for Cancer Early Detection. Project: Clinically relevant cohorts for Cross Validation of established biomarkers for PDAC early detection in low resource settings (CROSS-PDAC).
• CRUK-MRC-EPSRC. Project grants supporting multidisciplinary research to develop novel diagnostics and treatments for pancreatic cancer. Project:  EPIC DIVE - Early PancreatIc Cancer Diagnosis In Vivo Evaluation.
• MRC-UKRI Equipment Grant. Project: A Spatial Biology Hub to accelerate the clinical impact of fundamental and translational research at UCL.
• The Cholangiocarcinoma Foundation. Project: Unravelling fibroinflammatory and immune signatures in PSC and CCA by spatial multiomics.
• EU Twinning and EPSRC grants to foster international collaborations and improve imaging of pancreatic cancer and precursor lesions. 
• PCUK Career Development (PI: ACEDO, project: BIOPANC) and PCRF (PI: Litchfield; co-PI: Pereira) grants supporting research on novel areas of the microbiome and immunobiology of pancreatic cancer to improve early pancreatic cancer detection.  
• CRUK Early Detection and Diagnosis Programme Award. Project title: CANDETECT (Accelerating detection of upper gastrointestinal (UGI) cancers using a multi-cancer early detection platform in primary care).
• UroPanc. Project title: Early detection of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) using a panel of biomarkers.
• British Research Council Interdisciplinary Fund (UK-Germany Springboard programme). Project: Evaluating potential opportunities for early detection and therapeutic interventions to improve pancreatic cancer outcomes.

Group Memberships

• EUPancreas (Integrated European Platform for Pancreatic Cancer Research)
• (IPSCSG) International PSC Study Group
• UK-PSC Consortium
• ENS-CCA
• CCA-UK
• UEG

Industry Collaborators

• Immunovia AB - Lund, Sweden
• Micronoma Inc - San Diego, USA
• Olink
• Nordic Biosciences

Interested in joining us?

• Clinical and basic scientists: We welcome prospective applications from talented postdoctoral candidates and clinical trainees seeking to obtain their own funding. To discuss potential opportunities, please contact Dr Acedo (p.nunez@ucl.ac.uk) and Prof. Pereira.
• Students: If you have a good academic record, are interested in a career in biomedical sciences or academic medicine and would like to discuss internship opportunities at the ILDH, please contact Dr Acedo (p.nunez@ucl.ac.uk).