Significant investment from charity boosts blood cancer research

SIGNIFICANT investments totalling £60,000 have been awarded by Leukaemia & Myeloma Research UK to two trailblazing research projects which are examining and helping to understand the development of Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML) and Myeloma.

The charity invests in potentially life-saving research every year as part of its grant scheme to help find more effective treatments for blood cancer – the UK’s 5^th most common cancer.

What will £60,000 help to fund?

Dr Neil Rodrigues and Professor Alex Tonks from the European Cancer Stem Cell Research Institute at Cardiff University have been awarded LMRUK’s annual grant funding which will support their work into understanding the molecule, ZEB1 and how it can restore normal blood cell production in types of AML.

Dr Concetta Bubici from the College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences at Brunel University London, has been presented funding from the charity through its one-time-only ‘Lister Wilder Research Grant’.

Thanks to the incredible fundraising efforts of Lister Wilder, a professional machinery and service provider, LMRUK created a new grant worth £22,250 to invest in better treatments for Myeloma.

The grant will be used to support Dr Bubici’s work in interfering with fat metabolism to improve the efficacy of Myeloma.

The importance of funding research

LMRUK invests in specialist research in the hope of finding a more effective treatment for blood cancer in the future. The charity also aims to generate a wider understanding of the nature, causes, prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cure of Leukaemia and Myeloma.

There are over 100 types of cancers of the blood, over 240,000 people living with the disease in the UK and over 40,000 new cases diagnosed each year. More needs to be done to beat blood cancer and protect the next generation.

What research has previously been funded?

LMRUK invests in new research projects every year. Previous grant funding has supported:

• Specialist studies examine how the accumulation of mutated proteins in certain blood cancer cells allow them to multiply repeatedly.
• Novel research into cell signalling abnormalities and how it controls protein expression in leukaemia cells.
• Research aimed at finding a way to shut down a specific malfunctioning protein linked with a high number of blood cancer cases.

Dr Joanna Tilley, Operations Director at LMRUK said:

“We are committed to investing in research into all aspects of blood cancer in the hope of protecting the next generation from this disease.

“We wouldn’t be able to fund the imperative studies without the generosity of our Corporate Partners, such as Lister Wilder, and our fantastic fundraisers and supporters.

“To award £60,000 in funding this year is an incredible feat and we hope this helps us take a big step forward in better understanding the causes of blood cancer and how we can treat this disease more effectively.”

To find out more about LMRUK’s research grant and the work the charity invests in, click here: https://lmruk.org/research/.