Current research into leukaemia

Professor Adele Fielding in London is using state-of-the-art techniques to uncover the key genetic mistakes that are present when adults are diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL). The main goal of her work is to uncover the key genetic mistakes present in adults with ALL, compared to children with ALL. By doing this, they hope to understand why adults respond differently to treatment.

Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) is an aggressive cancer that can occur in children and adults. Some types of AML are very difficult to cure because they become resistant to existing treatments. Professor Jude Fitzgibbon in London has brought together leading researchers to understand the biology of AML with a poor outlook. Their aim is to identify weaknesses in these AMLs to develop better treatments for people with these cancer.

Professor Peter Hillmen in Leeds is leading a clinical trial testing a new treatment for chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL), the most common type of blood cancer. The aim is to test if a new targeted drug works as well as the chemotherapy currently used to treat CLL, but with far fewer side effects. 

Dr Jyoti Nangalia in Cambridge is using sequencing technologies to study the genetics of blood cancers like leukaemia. By comparing them to healthy blood cells, she wants to understand how blood cancers develop. Her work also aims to better understand how leukaemia cells evolve to become stronger and more resilient as they divide.