July 15, 2025 — Newswise —The UK Focused Ultrasound Foundation and Pancreatic Cancer UK have announced a new partnership to co-fund a preclinical study at the University of Oxford investigating whether focused ultrasound can enhance the effectiveness of immunotherapy to treat pancreatic cancer.
Pancreatic cancer is one of the most aggressive and lethal forms of cancer. In the UK alone, more than 10,000 people are diagnosed with the disease each year. Over half die within three months of diagnosis, making it the deadliest common cancer. The disease is notoriously difficult to detect early, with 80% of patients diagnosed at an advanced stage. Surgery is the only potentially curative treatment and only available to around 10% of patients due to late-stage diagnosis.
The study, led by co-principal investigators Keaton Jones MSc DPhil FRCS and Michael Gray PhD at the University of Oxford, explores whether focused ultrasound can disrupt tumours and improve the delivery of immunotherapy, an approach that boosts the immune system to recognize and destroy cancer cells.
Early evidence suggests that combining focused ultrasound with immunotherapy could help overcome the unique challenges pancreatic cancer presents. Focused ultrasound uses noninvasive, high-frequency sound waves to destroy tumor tissue and may reduce the immunosuppressive environment that makes pancreatic tumors so difficult to treat. By increasing immune cell access and enhancing drug delivery, this combination could improve outcomes.
“Finding a treatment for pancreatic cancer is one of the greatest unmet needs in oncology,” said Philip Keevil MA (Oxon) MBA FRSA, chairman and trustee of the UK Focused Ultrasound Foundation. “We need bold, innovative approaches like focused ultrasound to change the odds for patients. This partnership reflects our commitment to delivering hope through science.”
“We are thrilled to be co-funding this vital project with the UK Focused Ultrasound Foundation,” said Dr. Chris Macdonald, Head of Research at Pancreatic Cancer UK. “Immunotherapy is an immensely exciting treatment that has improved survival for other cancers like leukemia but has so far been ineffective for pancreatic cancer due to its ability to hide from the immune system, and the thick shell of tissue that surrounds the tumor. We hope that the addition of focused ultrasound will, in future, make immunotherapy a viable treatment option for thousands of people diagnosed each year in the UK.”
This latest collaboration is part of an ongoing effort by both organizations to drive innovation and accelerate new treatment options for pancreatic cancer.
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