The AdUP Trial is sponsored by the University of Birmingham and run by the Cancer Research UK Clinical Trials Unit (CRCTU). The science behind the trial (outlined below) was developed in the School of Cancer Sciences. The trial is being run in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital making this a collaborative Birmingham trial.

The AdUP trial is investigating potential new treatments for prostate cancer patients whose cancer has returned after being treated with radiotherapy and is no longer responsive to hormone therapy. The treatment is in 2 parts. The first part is an injection directly into the prostate of modified adenovirus called AdNRGM. The virus is unable to replicate in the body and encodes an enzyme called nitroreductase (NR) and an immune agent called GM-CSF. The second part of the treatment is a pro drug called CB1954. A pro drug is a drug that only becomes active when given with another substance. In this trial, it is the NR enzyme produced by the virus in the AdNRGM injection that makes CB1954 active. In most cells, CB1954 will remain inactive. But when CB1954 reaches the prostate, the NR enzyme will change it into an active drug that can kill tumour cells. The aim of this trial is to investigate the safety of combined treatment with the AdNRGM and CB1954.

• Cold virus 'treats prostate cancer' for Birmingham patient (BBC News).