Virtually every family in Greater Manchester has been touched by cancer.

The disease has brutally claimed the lives of the young and the healthy - sons and daughters, mums, dads and grandparents.

That’s why the devastating blaze at the world-renowned Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute at The Christie Hospital is not just a tragedy for scientists, researchers and patients. It’s a tragedy for us all.

The M.E.N. has now joined forces with Cancer Research UK to raise money to rebuild their institute so it can carry on saving lives here and across the world.

To donate visit: https://www.justgiving.com/campaigns/charity/cancerresearchuk/crukmanchesterinstitute

Anyone wanting to send a cheque should address it and write to ‘Manchester Institute Appeal’, Cancer Research UK, PO Box 1561, Oxford, OX4 9GZ.

You can text GIVE to 70200 to give £5.

We can reveal that years of research and life-saving equipment worth millions of pounds has been lost in the blaze.

(Image: Steve Allen)

The centre worked to understand, investigate and analyse the biological make-up of different cancers in order to improve the care and treatments given to patients.

It looked at lung cancer, skin cancer, blood cancers, breast cancer, prostate cancer and pancreatic cancer in particular but data and research findings about all types of cancer has been lost.

Amongst the invaluable work, which has taken over two decades to compile, were results, theories and evidence written up as hard-copy and stored on computers.

The blaze could set research back years. But, with your generous help, we can fight back.

We are calling on our readers to join our massive fundraising drive to rebuild and restore the research centre. Every penny will count.

(Image: GMFRS Air Unit)

The director of the centre, Professor Richard Marais, told the M.E.N.: “This was our worst nightmare and it played out in front of our eyes.

“We will rebuild. This institute is too important, not just to Manchester but for the whole world, as a centre for cancer discovery and treatment. The fight starts here.

“We are extremely grateful to the Manchester Evening News and its readers. We hope everyone will spare a minute and dig deeply to get the centre back up and running as soon as possible.”

The M.E.N. can reveal that equipment feared lost includes:

Two DNA sequencing machines used to analyse patients’ tumours, together worth £700,000.

Two imaging machines used to analyse individual cells from tumours worth in excess of £1m.

The centre’s £1.4m ‘Trodon’ super computer, which is used to analyse and store enormous amounts DNA data.

A large number of smaller computers worth £500,000.

More than £100,000 worth of vital chemicals stored in fridges.

A library of different drugs used to test against cancerous cells in tumours.

To donate visit: https://www.justgiving.com/campaigns/charity/cancerresearchuk/crukmanchesterinstitute

Anyone wanting to send a cheque should address it and write to ‘Manchester Institute Appeal’, Cancer Research UK, PO Box 1561, Oxford, OX4 9GZ.

You can text GIVE to 70200 to give £5.

Scientists are desperately trying to determine the full extent of what has been lost in the blaze at the former Paterson Institute building.

A team of scientists have twice been allowed back into the building’s laboratories to salvage what they could, but the charity said replacements would take ‘considerable time and resources’.

The institute is home to some of the charity’s ‘brightest researchers’ from across the globe - all working to beat cancer. Some 400 people, scientists, researchers and staff, work there.

Professor Marais said a ‘vital’ collection of patient samples, stored in huge freezers running hundreds of degrees below zero, have been saved.

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They include slivers of patients’ tumours and blood samples and have been moved to other areas with functioning power supplies and are back up and running.

“The focus has to be on the future, starting over again and getting back to where we are as quickly as possible,” Prof Marais said.

“But the institute isn’t really about data, it’s about people. We have international scientists working here who moved to Manchester to do this work to help others.

“And there is a real desire and hunger to get going again, because it’s about the patients in the end.”

The centre has also played a key global role in drugs trials which have been successfully used to prolong patients’ lives. They include Tamoxifen for breast cancer and the lung cancer drug Tagrisso.

Prof Morais said: “Our research is changing the way people are being treated so we can’t afford to be down too long, we have to get back to it.

“The priorities are to rescue the data people have generated and things like lap-tops and lab books and the second priority is to salvage equipment and move it to dry parts of the building.

“We are making a difference to patients here - and that will never end.”

Jane Bullock, Cancer Research UK north west spokeswoman, urged women to get involved in the charity’s Race for Life events over the coming weeks and months as a way of raising funds for the centre.

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She said: “While the full extent of the damage is still being assessed, it is clear that it will take some time and considerable resource to get the pioneering facility back on its feet.

“The institute is home to researchers who work tirelessly to develop more effective and kinder treatments for cancer patients across the UK and worldwide. It’s critically important that this research can get back on track as soon as possible – lives depend on it.

“At this challenging time for Cancer Research UK, as we seek to begin the long process of getting the institute back on its feet following this dreadful setback, we are grateful for any donations people can make to help us bring forward the day when all cancers are cured.”

To donate visit: https://www.justgiving.com/campaigns/charity/cancerresearchuk/crukmanchesterinstitute

Anyone wanting to send a cheque should address it and write to ‘Manchester Institute Appeal’, Cancer Research UK, PO Box 1561, Oxford, OX4 9GZ.

You can text GIVE to 70200 to give £5. Here’s a link to the charity’s terms and conditions - www.cancerresearchuk.org/terms-and-conditions/text-to-donate