A SPECIALIST cancer research centre costing £22 million --the most advanced of its kind in the world -- is being built in Manchester.

Building work has started on the Wolfson Molecular Imaging Centre, which will be on the Christie Hospital site and is set to open in Spring 2003.

The £22 million centre will be the first purpose-built centre using molecular imaging -- a powerful new imaging technology that maps the movement and activity of cancer drugs in tumours.

State of the art specialised chemistry laboratories, clinical research scanning suites, pharmacology laboratories and data processing areas will be housed in the four-storey building.