The prize is awarded to the best clinical or basic science project presented at the RSM Nephrology President's Prize Day, held this year on 2 December 2021 at the Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh in Scotland.
Dr Bottomley, a Clinical Lecturer in Renal Medicine at the Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences, gave a 15-minute presentation, entitled ‘Immune ageing synergises with immunosuppression leading to impaired T cell infiltration and enhanced malignancy risk in renal transplant recipients.’
Our research is important because it might reveal new treatments for cancer, but also may allow us to identify patients at higher risk of cancer earlier, so we can make changes to their treatment and reduce their risk of developing cancer at all - Dr Matthew Bottomley
Describing his research project, Dr Bottomley said: “Skin cancer, particularly squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), is the most common cancer post-transplant and is more aggressive than in the general population. We identified a marker related to ageing of the immune system that appears to reveal transplant patients that are at increased risk of poorer cancer outcomes. We use cutting-edge techniques to profile the changes in the immune response within the tumour itself, and found fundamental changes in the immune environment that might explain the increased cancer risk.
“Our research is important because it might reveal new treatments for cancer, but also may allow us to identify patients at higher risk of cancer earlier, so we can make changes to their treatment and reduce their risk of developing cancer at all.”
Read more about the Stewart Cameron Science Award on the RSM website
Read more about Dr Bottomley winning the award on the British Skin Foundation website