Dr Richard Perryman is a Brain Tumour Research-funded Research Associate working at our Centre of Excellence at Imperial College London, where he completed his PhD funded by the Medical Research Council (MRC). He works alongside Dr Nelofer Syed on cancer cell metabolism and response to chemotherapy.
Earlier today (Thursday 18th July), Dr Perryman presented at the British Neuro-Oncology Society (BNOS) Annual Meeting on “characterisation of the response of pre-clinical models of glioma to metabolic therapies using in vivo magnetic resonance spectroscopy”.
We caught up with him to find out more about his work.
Can you tell us about the work you presented today?
The work I presented today is on non-invasive measurement of metabolites in brain tumours using MRI. As a lab, we focus on metabolic therapies that have specific effects on tumour metabolism. However, it is currently very difficult to monitor the response of brain tumours to these therapies. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) is a technique that can be performed on MRI scanners to measure the levels of metabolites in the brain. We have used MRS to measure the response of mouse gliomas to arginine deprivation therapy and the ketogenic diet.
How will your research go on to benefit patients?
We hope that the results from this research will provide evidence to apply the technique in a clinical trial testing arginine deprivation or the ketogenic diet in patients with glioblastoma (GBM), allowing us to monitor their response non-invasively using the same tools (MRI) that are already used to monitor their disease.
What are the next steps for this research?
We would like to refine the research further in collaboration with other experts in the field and apply the technique to other in vivo models and metabolic therapies. We would also like to explore related techniques such as chemical exchange saturation transfer (CEST) MRI to see if this could help us monitor the response of brain tumours to metabolic therapies.
Why is it important to share research at conferences such as BNOS?
It is vital that we share our results with the wider scientific community to help advance brain tumour research together. By presenting at conferences such as BNOS, we can get feedback on our research, identify collaborations we can form and demonstrate to the public what research we’re working on.
How has funding from Brain Tumour Research enabled you to progress your research career?
Funding from Brain Tumour Research was critical in establishing myself as post-doctoral research associate following the completion of my PhD at Imperial College London. It allowed me to finish, write up and publish my PhD project, as well as allowing me the freedom to work on multiple projects within the group, and grow my skills as a researcher.
What is your role within the Centre of Excellence at Imperial College London, and how long have you been there?
My main role at the Centre of Excellence at Imperial College London has been to develop multiple projects on metabolic therapies in GBM, establishing and refining our preclinical models to generate data supporting the use of metabolic therapies to treat GBM. I also spend a significant amount of time analysing omics data such as microarray, RNAseq and metabolomics to help further our understanding of brain tumours. In addition to this, I contribute significantly to the maintenance and upkeep of the lab itself, and I have mentored and trained numerous members of staff and students in critical lab skills for conducting research to help promote the next generation of brain tumour researchers.
The funds and awareness you raise help us support researchers like Dr Perryman to progress in their career and carry out pioneering research to make discoveries which are so desperately needed if we are to find new treatments and ultimately cures for all types of brain tumours. To find out how you can help us, visit https://braintumourresearch.org/pages/help-find-a-cure
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