SECURITY is so high here, that only one person can enter at a time through sci-fi like interlocking doors.

After buzzing an intercom, one glass door swishes open trapping you in a pod for a few seconds while authorisation takes place, before another glass door opens, allowing you into the building.

Located across the road from Southampton General Hospital, what is it that’s so important about the Somers Cancer Research Building?

Well, this is where ground-breaking work in the fight against cancer is happening.

With the potential to alleviate the suffering of thousands of people, this building not only houses a human tissue bank, it is also home to a wealth of priceless cell-based research. To say such work is irreplaceable is an understatement.

Upstairs teams of doctors and researchers clad in white coats work surrounded by test tubes and microscopes.

Amid the whirr of machinery, their pioneering research in the purposebuilt labs here is recognised worldwide.

They are dedicated to helping to tackle the disease, which more than 10,000 people in and around Southampton alone are diagnosed with each year.

The Somers Building is one of several key university properties on the Hospital site that hosts this innovative work.

The employees here are a vital part of the Southampton Cancer Research UK Centre, a network which brings together scientists, doctors and nurses in the area.

But without the support of people raising money for Cancer Research UK through events like Race for Life, this wouldn’t be happening.

“It would be impossible to do what we do here without the money raised by Cancer Research UK,” said Professor Tim Elliott, just one of the world-class experts in his field based at Southampton.

The charity spent more than £4m last year in Southampton on some of the UK’s leading scientific and clinical research.

“A lot of people like to know where their money is going and that it is helping their local community,” said Rachel White, of Cancer Research UK.

“The work being done in Southampton to fight cancer is absolutely fantastic. We want people to know that we are trying to spend their money in the most responsible way possible and put it to good use.

We are so grateful for their support.”

The Southampton centre has an international reputation for research into immunotherapy – a type of treatment that harnesses the power of the body’s own immune system to target cancer.

The first DNA cancer vaccines were developed here, and scientists at the centre are at the cutting edge of this exciting field.

Scientists in Southampton are also hunting for the gene faults at the heart of cancer.

Research like this will lead to more tailored treatments for patients in the future, potentially reducing side effects.

And researchers in the city are leading the way in improving surgery – a life-saving cancer treatment – with a focus on bowel, breast, and head and neck cancers.

Southampton has a strong track record in training outstanding cancer scientists, doctors and surgeons – a tradition that is set to continue and grow.

The centre – a partnership between Cancer Research UK, the University of Southampton, and Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust – provides the right environment for training the next generation of experts, to ensure that they continue to make progress in beating cancer.

For more information on Cancer Research UK, visit cancerresearchuk.org