In November 2016 LAPR&D participated for the first time in  the Pancreatic Cancer “Turn it Purple” campaign.  We obtained the fantastic support of Southampton City Council, the O2 Guildhall and Southampton FC who all turned their buildings purple for a week to help raise awareness of this underfunded and little understood disease of pancreatic cancer. 
 
During the week over 160 people visited our stand in the foyer of Southampton City Council.  Charity volunteers and medical experts from Southampton University Hospital, many of whom are involved in our research programmes, discussed the disease and explained what we were doing to try to understand it better and improve outcomes for patients.  We would like to thank everyone who stopped by, donated, listened, signed up to our newsletter, agreed to take collection boxes and who liked our Facebook page as a result of the campaign.
 
Our social media posts during the campaign reach over 9,000 people which ensure that we well and truly reached our objective to raise awareness.
 
If you would like to support our work please visit our website at http://www.lapcancercharity.com and encourage your friends to like our Facebook page.
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Chaired by LAPR&D founder Mohammad Abu Hilal the EGMLLS 2017 two-day Congress meeting allowed delegates the opportunity to witness discussion and presentations by experienced surgeons and experts from across Europe including Japan and the US, and be involved in the shaping of guidelines for safer laparoscopic (keyhole) liver surgery practice.
 
This 1st European Guidelines Meeting on Laparoscopic Liver Surgery took place on the 10th – 11th February 2017 at the Hilton at Ageas Bowl, Southampton.  The meeting was endorsed by the EAHPBA (European-African Hepato Pancreato Biliary Association) and attracted over 200 UK and international experts in open and Laparoscopic Liver Surgery to develop future Guidelines for the safe and continuous expansion of Laparoscopic Liver Surgery in Europe and worldwide.
 
Topics covered included: indications for surgery, patient selection, surgical techniques, complex clinical scenarios, training and future implementation were discussed.  During the meeting delegates were exposed to state of the art lectures and videos on surgical techniques as well as a number of “Meet the Professor” sessions.
 
The meeting heard that liver keyhole surgery is less painful for the patient; more cost effective; allows quicker recovery and is expanding in use.  However, there are no recognised guidelines for its use.  Draft guidelines have now been developed in association  with the International Laparoscopic Liver Society (ILLS), European-African Hepato Pancreato Biliary Association (EAHPBA), the Italian Group of Minimally Invasive Liver Surgery (I Go MILS), Association of upper Gastrointestinal Surgeons of Great Britain and Northern Ireland (AUGIS) & the Great Britain  and Ireland Hepato Pancreato Biliary Association (GBIHPBA). 
 
For the guidelines to be acceptable it is important that the methodology used to create them must be credible; validated and defendable.  They have been developed by a research working group (pictured) and then considered by 23 experts across Europe.  The guidelines were validated by a Validation Committee, chaired by Dr. Horacio J. Asbun, Professor of Surgery at the Mayo Clinic in Florida, USA and was supported by the LAPR&D charity who represented patient interests.  The charity funds research that detects the early signs of these forms of cancer and enhances mini-invasive treatment, such as keyhole surgery, and after care methods – as such to Congress and the Charity share similar objectives.  The draft guidelines cover 4 topic areas: Indication; Patients and Complex Disease; Procedures; Technique and Implementation.  Feedback from the Validation Committee on the draft guidelines was provided to the Congress and will now be considered by the Working and Steering Grus before being adopted across Europe. 
 
Mo Abu Hilal said “tremendous progress has been made during the Congress in Southampton on the development of these important guidelines.  I would like to pay credit to all who have worked so hard to get us to this point including the Working Group,  all subject matter experts and the Validation committee.  We will now finalise the guidelines which will bring benefits to patients.  I hope that over time they will attain worldwide acceptance” . 

To be held at the Hilton Ageas Bowl in Southampton on Friday 10th & Saturday 11th February 2017 and opened by  Southampton Mayor Councillor Cathie McEwing this internationally important meeting will be well supported by LAPR&D.  The meeting is being hosted by charity founder Mr. Mo Abu Hilal with charity supporter Paul Over providing part of  the patient representative input into the guidelines.
 
The 1st European Guidelines Meeting on Laparoscopic Liver Surgery (EGMLLS) will provide an opportunity for a large number of international experts in open and laparoscopic (keyhole) Liver Surgery to be involved in the development of future guidelines for a safe and continuous expansion of Laparoscopic Liver Surgery in Europe and worldwide.  Delegates from across the UK and Europe are attending this inaugural meeting which will take place within this contemporary and purpose-built Southampton conference venue.  It is expected that in excess of 150 delegates and visitors to Southampton will attend this important meeting.
 
The EGMLLS Organising Committee includes Southampton based surgical consultants who are enthusiastic about both supporting this meeting and promoting Southampton.  further information on the meeting can be found here: http://www.egmlls2017.com
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Southampton Football Club is proud to be supporting World Pancreatic Cancer Day on Thursday 17th November.
Through Kelvin Davis’s heavy involvement with the Liver & Pancreatic Research and Development Cancer Charity, Saints will be helping to raise further awareness of a cause close to the former goalkeeper’s heart.

Kelvin is now patron and chairman of the Liver & Pancreatic Research and Development Cancer Charity, having got to know its founder, Mo Abu Hilal, who performed emergency appendix surgery on his wife, Kelly, in 2014.

The goalkeeper’s testimonial back in May raised vital funds for the Southampton-based charity, and now the club will be showing further support for an important cause.

Throughout the week, the Ted Bates statue at St Mary’s has been lit a violet hue, along with the O2 Guildhall, to mark World Pancreatic Cancer Day.

Liver and Pancreatic Cancer affects more than 15,000 patients in the UK every year. There is still a scarcity of funds dedicated to research to improve early detection and survival rates, which have not improve in the last 40 years.
That is why Kelvin is keen to highlight and raise awareness of LAPRD over the course of the week. “The idea with the purple to light the stadium up is to gain awareness and to get people talking,” he said.

“The council are doing something amazing in town with the civic centre being lit purple as well, which is the colour associated with World Pancreatic Cancer Day.

“The charity has spent a considerable amount of money this year on two research programmes to support what we’re trying to do.”

The Liver and Pancreatic Research and Development Cancer Charity based from Southampton General Hospital are teaming up with Southampton City Council and Live Nation this November to turn the Civic Centre and Guildhall purple as part of pancreatic cancer awareness month.

Pancreatic cancer is the fifth deadliest cancer in the UK and it affects more than 15,000 patients in the UK every year. This year the LAPR&D have teamed up with Southampton City Council and LiveNation #O2GuildhallS to light up two of the city’s most iconic landmarks, the Civic Centre and Guildhall, purple – the symbolic colour of pancreatic cancer. The famous buildings will turn purple on the evening of Monday 14 November and will stay purple for one week.

All charity supporters and the media are invited to meet charity patron, former Southampton FC captain and goalkeeper, Kelvin Davis, Councillor Dave Shields, Cabinet Member for Health and Sustainability at Southampton City Council, medical experts from the research team and patients for a photo call at 16:30 on Monday 14 November in Guildhall Square.  If you are a press or media outlet and would like to attend please get in touch via:
Email: communications@southampton.gov.uk
Call: 023 8083 2000

Charity volunteers and medical experts from the Southampton University Hospital will also be present in the foyer of Southampton City Council from 12noon-2pm on Monday 14th November – Friday 18th November and will be pleased to speak to anyone about the work they are doing.

LAPR&D strongly believe that raising awareness of pancreatic cancer and its signs and symptoms can save lives. More than 50% of patients have never heard of pancreatic cancer before their own diagnosis and half the population cannot name a single symptom of pancreatic cancer – that’s why raising awareness is so vital!  Unlike many other forms of cancer, detection and cure rates have not improved in the last 40 years.

LAPR&D, via its world leading research programme based at the Southampton University Hospital, is trying to improve the life chances of those who contract this disease. They are currently funding two research programmes with the objective of improving detection and treatment.

Mr. Hilal, one of the charity’s founding members and surgeon at Southampton University hospital said: “This research into liver stem cells allows us a unique opportunity to improve the outcomes and survival for patients with liver disease.  Once we establish our protocols in liver stem cells, we’ll be looking to extend our research into pancreatic stems cells too. This was our first major grant and we are delighted that it has been given to a very talented local team at Southampton University Hospital. 

“The research group acknowledges that it has a long way to go to reach the point of using liver generated from stem cells in the management of patients with liver disease. However in the last two years the group has made good progress and is working hard towards the research aims.

“We are grateful to our many supporters who have so generously given of their time and money to make this research possible and to Southampton City Council for supporting this awareness campaign. If the research is successful it will give a massive boost to the treatment of this form of cancer.”  

Councillor Dave Shields, Cabinet Member for Health and Sustainability at Southampton City Council, said:

“We are proud to support this locally based charity in the fantastic work they do in improving patient care and patient prognosis. Their research into pioneering new treatments and identifying the causes of pancreatic cancer is invaluable in the fight against this terrible disease." 

You can find out more about the signs and symptoms of pancreatic cancer at: https://pancreaticcanceraction.org/about-pancreatic-cancer/symptoms/

Donations can be made to the Liver and Pancreatic Research and Development Cancer Charity by following the "Donate" button on this website.

The Liver and Pancreatic Research and Development cancer charity (registered Charity Number 1051543 and affiliated to the Southampton University Hospital Trust) was set up by surgeon Mr. Mo Abu Hilal in 2012 and a number of patients with liver and pancreatic diseases. The charity, based at Southampton Hospital, aims to deliver improvements in the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancers of the liver and pancreas.

Further ways to support the charity can be found at the "Get Involved" section of this website.

This year’s was the 4th anniversary charity dinner and auction in aid of the Liver and Pancreatic R&D Cancer Charity held at the Hilton Ageas, Southampton, on 15th October was attended by nearly 400 guests including Kelvin Davis, charity patron and former Saints skipper and goalkeeper, along with Sean Irvine from Hampshire County Cricket Club. The event was hosted by Bobby Davro, who had everyone up on their feet dancing and singing even before the band started!  Bobby made the night very special.
 
The night was organised by supporters of the charity, Tina Hiscox, Carole Harwood, Julia Stuart, Sally Rewcastle and Mandy Bransgrove, who managed to auction off two VIP tickets to the Extreme Sailing World Series yachting event in Cardiff 2017, including Ben Ainsley Racing Team, and a luxury holiday in Portugal amongst many others.
 
The event  raised £35,438.69 from auction bids and sponsorships from the likes of The Barker-Mill Foundation, Moxhams Creative, Screwfix and The Hilton at the Ageas Bowl. 
 
Every single penny raised from the event will go towards the charity’s research and development programme based at Southampton University Hospital and led by surgeon Mr. Mo Abu Hilal.  Mr Hilal, a leading expert in keyhole surgery techniques, believes that patient survival rates can be improved if the disease is diagnosed and treated earlier.  He said after the event “we are still a relatively young charity and we aim to raise awareness of this type of cancer so we can battle it in every way we can. The team are making big strides in stem cell research to help create a new working liver for people, rather than just have them waiting for a donor”.
 
Thanks to everyone for attending and to all our auction prize donators and sponsors – you really have made a difference!  Thanks also to our excellent photographer Dave Vokes who can be contacted at: dave@davevokesphotography.co.uk
 
Further updates on our research programme will be put on our website and in our newsletter.
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Following on from the grant awarded into Stem Cell research, which has just entered its second year, we are delighted to announce approval of a second funding stream to researchers from the University Hospital, Southampton. 
 
Year one funding of £35,839 will allow this research, led by Dr. Pardis Arvinrad, to commence in November 2016 and will last for a period of 32 months subject to continuation following an annual review.
 
This grant is to enable Dr Arvinrad to commence the research with the objective of delivering the following outcomes:
 
1.         identify biomarkers of metastatic[1] pancreatic cancer – most forms of cancer have a blood test or other indicator of the early signs – pancreatic       cancer currently doesn’t
2.         discover new drugs for the treatment of metastatic pancreatic cancer – at present there are no drugs that only target pancreatic cancer cells whereas there are for liver and breast cancer for example
 
The research will begin with an analysis of human material from 100 Pancreatic Cancer patients to identify potential biomarkers of metastasis with the focus on earlier observations on liver and breast cancers.
 
This a particularly exciting research project that aims to detect early warning signs of the cancer and develop drug treatments that can help patients.
 
Regular updates on the research programme will be provided via our website and Charity Newsletters.


[1] Metastasis is the spread of a cancer or other disease from one organ or part of the body to another without being directly connected with it.

On 2nd July, Dr. Mark Halls presented his paper on “Aggressive laparoscopic liver resections for colorectal metastases”[1] in Porto, Portugal.  Mark works at the University Hospital Southampton under the supervision of  Mo Abu Hilal, Charity Founder.  The paper was presented to the HEBIPA (Hepatobiliopancreatic) Meeting 2016, organised by the Central Hospital of Porto.  The event focused on valuable topics of Liver, Biliary Tree and Pancreas.
 
The conference brought together a panel of remarkable speakers and guests, both national and international, with worldwide overwhelming and recognized expertise from France, Italy, Norway and Brazil which Mark was privileged to share a stage with.
 
After the event conference organiser Dr. José Davide said “we are very grateful to Mark because he gave us the opportunity to learn from your magnificent experience in Southampton”.
 
Mark was a guest at the HEBIPA Presidential Dinner where he was able to ensure that the research arm of LAPR&D added to their growing network of valuable and constructive relationships where shared learning can continue to make progress with identifying the causes and treatments for pancreatic cancer.


[1] Colorectal metatsases are tumors in the liver originating from large bowel cancer

We are delighted to be able to provide a further update on last the 2/3 month’s work which has brought about a significant breakthrough in the research programme that LAPR&D is funding.  The research project aims to prove that it is possible to take liver cells out of the body and get them to survive and grow.  We reported previously that the research began with animal samples.  It has now progressed to human cells with 90 samples taken from 103 patients who have liver disease.  The research is now concentrating on how to sustain human liver cells outside of the body in the laboratory.  
 
The 2  fourth year medical student researchers, funded by LAPR&D, have studied what make the cells grow and what happens to the DNA/nucleus of the cell.  They have conducted 97 experiments to date and have now progressed onto working with stem cells.  They have confirmed that by adding an epidermal growth factor (EGF) and small protein (VIP, Vaso-Intestinal peptide) improves the survival rate of the liver cells and stem cells have been isolated.  This  is important as they are essential for the future production of the liver. 
 
The results are to be published in Faculty of Medical Annual Conference and Hepatology (Journal of AASLD, American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases) 
 
Future plans are to study how to transform stem cells into a functioning liver; grow the liver as a 3D functioning organ where the cells aggregate together and stay together and to inject human stem cells into the liver of a live mouse to see if they survive/grow.

This is the end of the first year of LAPR&D research into stem cells.  As  a result of this tremendous progress we are extending our research programme funding for a further 2 years.  If you wish to donate to ensure this research continues please visit the "Donate" section on our homepage

April 2016

Current work:

In the last three months, we have explored the liver cell growth process at gene level  to determine if there are genes associated with pancreatic cancer.  Liver cells were taken from liver tissue obtained from patients undergoing liver surgery.  Since our exciting start, we have recruited 26 patients and 24 liver specimens were processed in the last three months.

The effects of the chosen growth factors on human liver cells have been studied. Changes to genes related to growth and proliferation were tested. Exposure of liver cells to certain agents, such as hormones, causes generation of certain nucleic acids (RNA) which stimulate the production of protein and cell growth which will assist our efforts to grow a liver outside of the body successfully.  RNA was extracted from the cells and alteration of the gene structure was tested using different laboratory methods to  monitor the increase in multiplication of nucleic material (DNA).  We found that factors under study had a positive effect on genes involved in growth and proliferation processes of liver cells.

The impact of these growth factors on the functionality of liver cells was a concern in our study.  The ability of liver cells to produce or break down certain products had been investigated using various experimental procedures.  We found the liver cell functions such as production of albumin are variably affected by those growth factors.  The use of these factors on liver cells was found to be safe with no toxic effects.

In separate experiments, work is trying to isolate human liver stem cells.  We have made good progress in understanding the liver stem cell environment and we are able to identify factors that are essential for growth and maintenance of liver stem cell in a culture dish.

In November 2015, Mr Abu Hilal was invited to present some of our results at the international scientific society conference in Jordan.

Over the next three months, the work will focus on:

• Mechanisms that cause the variability in response to growth improving agents.
• Optimization of the liver stem cultural model using the development knowledge of 2D and 3D techniques.
• Identification and characterisation of various stem cell types.
• In bioengineering experiment, we plan to study how liver cells behave and survive under the effect of ultrasonic waves