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Oxford researchers win funding to pursue drugs that could prevent inherited bowel cancer

Cancer Research UK funding will support drug discovery aimed at preventing cancer in people with inherited polyposis syndromes.

By THE TEA · 31 August 2026

Oxford researchers win funding to pursue drugs that could prevent inherited bowel cancer Image: Oxford CancerOriginal source

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Oxford have secured Cancer UK funding to develop potential drugs designed to prevent bowel cancer in people with inherited polyposis syndromes.

Professor Simon Leedham and Professor Christian Siebold have received a Biology to award to support the drug-discovery work.

Inherited polyposis syndromes can leave people at significantly increased risk of developing bowel cancer. The new research focuses on prevention, aiming to intervene before cancer develops rather than only treating disease later.

The project adds to a growing field of cancer research looking for ways to identify and protect people at particularly high genetic risk.