THE Telegraph & Argus Bradford Crocus Cancer Appeal has been given a further boost with the announcement today of a £247,500 cash injection by Yorkshire Cancer Research (YCR).

The money, given to YCR by the Masonic Samaritan Fund, will be used to pay for a research scientist dedicated to looking after the University of Bradford’s new cutting-edge proteomics mass spectrometer over the next four years.

Last month, the T&A revealed that the appeal, which began in May 2013 to enable the University’s Institute of Cancer Therapeutics (ICT) to buy the much-needed machine, had hit its fundraising target thanks to generous donations from the people and businesses of Bradford.

The initiative was a partnership between the T&A, the University, YCR, and the Sovereign Health Care Charitable Trust.

The new machine is designed to identify tiny amounts of proteins found in cancer cells, so researchers can determine whether they can be used as biomarkers for the detection of cancer, targets for new therapies, or indicators of a patient’s likely response to current treatments.

The £247,500 award from the charity includes a £47,500 grant from the Masonic Samaritan Fund, which was given to support the discovery and development of new cancer medicines.

The new scientist is expected to be in post by the autumn.

Professor Laurence Patterson, professor of drug discovery at the ICT, said: "The new technician is needed to ensure we get the very best we can out of the machine now that we have it.

"It entails expertise in sample preparation and running the machine, as well as the analysis of huge volumes of data generated from each run.

"There are two important developments currently happening in the field of cancer therapy.

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"The first is the rise of personalised medicine. This means selecting patients who you know will most likely respond to treatments, sparing non-responding patients the trauma of side effects and reducing unnecessary treatment costs to the NHS.

"The second is early detection. If we can determine the identity and amount of proteins associated with cancer or precancerous tissue, we can use them as indicators of cancer development before the cancer has actually taken hold.

"If we are going to defeat cancer, we need to be able to detect it at a much earlier stage, long before it becomes a problem."

Charles Rowett, chief executive officer at YCR, said: "The technician will play an extremely vital role in helping us bring pioneering cancer treatments to the people of Yorkshire and beyond, and we are delighted to be able to support the university for the next four years."

John McCrohan, grants director and deputy chief executive for the Masonic Samaritan Fund, added: "Cancer research is a cause close to Freemasons’ hearts and as such, more than £5 million has already been awarded in the search for treatments and ultimately a cure, for many forms of cancer.

"We were delighted to provide the grant to Yorkshire Cancer Research. The hope is that we are investing in researchers who can find new knowledge, insights and treatments that will benefit us all."