Dr Davlinder Mandair – NCUK research grant awardee 2014 – Biomarkers in the Pathogenesis of Neuroendocrine Tumours – Healthcare Science Week 2021
The project built on previous work conducted in Prof Meyer’s Lab which demonstrated, for the first time, that circulating tumour cells (CTCs) were detectable in the blood of patients with a range of NENs, and that their presence indicated an adverse prognosis.
Advances in technology now allow for detailed molecular characterisation to be conducted on single cells and the project compared the genetic changes seen in primary tumour tissue with that of CTCs and also with cfDNA (pieces of DNA that arise from the tumour and can be found circulating in the blood stream).
“If we can show that CTCs and cfDNA does indeed accurately represent the tumour, then we will be able to track how the tumour evolves over time and during treatment. This may allow clinicians treating patients with NENs to select the appropriate therapy and to anticipate the emergence of resistance. As cancer therapy becomes increasingly personalised, it is important that we can undertake this type of analysis so that patients can benefit fully from the new drugs that target specific cancer pathways”.
Dalvinder Mandair is now a Consultant in Gastroenterology and Neuroendocrine Tumors at the Royal Free ENETS Centre of Excellence (a post held since 2016).
He graduated in 2002, completing his specialist training in gastroenterology in 2015.
Between 2012 and 2014, he was the clinical research fellow at the Royal Free NET unit and was awarded his MD in 2016, with his thesis entitled:
‘Biomarkers in the Pathogenesis of Neuroendocrine Tumours’.
He has presented his research on biomarkers at national and international meetings. He remains actively involved in clinical and basic science research with his main interests being circulating tumour cells in NENs, mechanisms of mesenteric fibrosis and endoscopic management of NENs. He also has a keen interest in nutrition and the GI consequences of medical and surgical therapy in NENs.
- Evaluation of circulating transcript analysis (NETest) in small intestinal neuroendocrine neoplasms after surgical resection Endocrine (2020)
- Clinico-pathological correlations of mesenteric fibrosis and evaluation of a novel biomarker for fibrosis detection in small bowel neuroendocrine neoplasms Endocrine (2020)
- Circulating tumour cells and their association with bone metastases in patients with neuroendocrine tumours Br J Cancer. (2019)