Tiffany Chan

My research focuses on finding ways to improve ¹⁷⁷Lu-PSMA radiotherapy for the treatment of prostate cancer.

Most prostate cancer cells express a protein known as prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA) on their surface, which is not expressed on healthy cells. PSMA can therefore be used to identify cancerous cells. ¹⁷⁷Lu-PSMA is a radiopharmaceutical, which consists of a radionuclide  (¹⁷⁷Lu) attached to a targeting vector (PSMA), that allows us to guide radiation directly to prostate cancer cells when it is injected into the bloodstream. The use of ¹⁷⁷Lu-PSMA has the potential to minimise side-effects associated with conventional radiotherapy methods and may lead to better treatment of disseminated cancers. 

Whilst ¹⁷⁷Lu-PSMA is growing in popularity, it does not currently work for all patients. In an effort to improve its efficacy and minimise toxicity, we are aiming to identify combination therapies that could work better than either agent on its own.

Tiffany obtained her MSci in Chemistry and MRes in Neurotechnology from Imperial College London. She then undertook a PhD in Chemistry and Biomedical Engineering at Imperial College London, affiliated with the Centre of Excellence in Neurotechnology. Her PhD project focused on designing nanoparticles and metal complexes for the treatment of brain diseases, and non-invasive ways to deliver them across the blood-brain barrier using focused ultrasound and microbubbles. In January 2020, she joined the Cornelissen Group at the University of Oxford.