Now in its second phase, Precision Oncology Ireland (POI) is the largest cancer research programme ever funded in Ireland. The programme is demonstrating how collaboration between academia, healthcare and industry can accelerate advances in cancer care.
Initially funded from 2019 to 2026 under the Research Ireland Strategic Partnership Programme, the €28 million second phase involves a consortium consisting of six academic partners, 15 charities and non-profit organisations, and 10 industry partners, with the shared goal of developing novel diagnostic and therapeutic options for cancer patients.
According to POI deputy director Prof Donal Brennan, its mission is to develop tailored diagnostic and therapeutic solutions using cutting-edge technologies and data, ensuring every patient receives the right treatment at the right time.
“The first phase of this programme delivered significant achievements,” says Brennan, who is also UCD professor of gynaecological-oncology and a consultant gynaecological oncologist at the Mater hospital. “We now aim to strengthen collaboration with clinical partners and move towards embedding research within standard cancer care, so that patients and society across Ireland – and beyond – can benefit from improved outcomes, enhanced healthcare innovation, and more sustainable delivery of cancer services.”
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Under what Brennan describes as a “very interesting” funding model, the Government, through Research Ireland, provides 50 per cent of the funding, while co-funding, and funding for individual projects, comes from industry partners, charities and hospital foundations.
“That’s great for cancer research,” he says, adding that he believes it will have far-reaching implications. “It allows for a move from a reactionary healthcare system to a research-driven system which will be better and more cost effective,” he explains. “Patients treated in research-active hospitals have far better outcomes. That’s very important for cancer. We are also training a group of scientists to work in that new healthcare system.”
The model will enable a coming together of research and healthcare: “It will enable us to take cancer research into the hospital and allow labs and hospitals to work together. Historically, research was seen as an add-on to healthcare provision. It needs to be core to it. That delivers far better outcomes. By doing this research in Ireland the results will be used in Irish hospitals for the benefit of Irish patients.”
Brennan points to the paediatric oncology Magic-I project as an example of this research. This five-year nationwide study aims to embed genomic sequencing into the care pathway for every child and adolescent diagnosed with cancer in Ireland. With a strong research framework at its core, Magic-I utilises whole genome sequencing (WGS), RNA sequencing (RNAseq), and cutting-edge data analytics to build a deep molecular profile of each patient’s cancer. This approach supports more accurate diagnosis and prognosis as well as highly individualised treatment planning.
“We have developed a facility to perform the computational biology,” he says. “One of the areas of focus is reducing toxicity. In precision oncology, people tend to think about the drug and the target, but we need to be precise around toxicity as well. This will help us to mitigate side effects.”
One of the ways that will be achieved is through the development and use of digital twins – virtual models of patients created using genomic, clinical and molecular data. These simulations allow researchers and clinicians to trial different therapies computationally before administering them in real life, offering a powerful tool to predict treatment outcomes and side effects with extremely high precision.
“Funding for the project has come from a charity and industry and Children’s Health Ireland,” Brennan notes. “It will provide a real improvement for children with cancer in Ireland. This would never have happened without the existence of POI, which brings these partners together.”
Ovarian cancer another research area. “We have had a very fruitful collaboration with Astra Zeneca UK for a number of years. The company subsequently opened a new precision medicine and R&D facility in Dublin. We are working with them on ovarian cancer and cancers that spread to the abdominal cavity. These projects are based on the fact that immunotherapy has been a huge step forward in oncology, but it hasn’t been as successful in ovarian cancer. Our focus is on why that is the case and to work on immunotherapies that will work.”
Research outcomes will not be the only benefits delivered by POI. “Between 50 and 75 PhDs will come out of POI,” says Brennan. “They will be trained in precision oncology, having worked with patients in hospitals and in the lab. They will be hugely sought after.
“Also very important is the emphasis on public patient involvement (PPI). We have a significant budget to involve patients and the public in the development and co-creation of our research projects. We are also educating the public on how to get involved in the research. Education and public engagement is a core element of the five-year programme.”
