Around 300,000 new cases of leukaemia are diagnosed globally each year, forming
2.8% of all new cancer cases. Lymphoma makes up around
3.5% of new cancers diagnosed worldwide each year and myeloma is
around 1%. Lymphoma starts in the
lymph glands, whereas myeloma starts in the bone
marrow. Depending on the type of Leukaemia, Leukaemia most
often starts in granulocytes, lymphocytes or monocytes in the bone marrow. Cancer
Research UK has been researching leukaemia,
lymphoma
and myeloma
since the 1970s. Discover some of the discoveries made in these research fields
and explore some of the research tools that have been created:
Understanding Leukaemia
There are several different types
of leukaemia including myeloid (acute
and chronic),
lymphoblastic (acute
and chronic),
hairy
cell and myelomonocytic (chronic
and juvenile).
Cancer Research UK has carried out research into the genetic cause of chronic
myeloid leukaemia, revolutionised bone marrow stem cell transplants and developed
new treatments including imatinib. Current Cancer Research UK research is
focusing on comparing and combining
different types of treatment for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia and studying
ways to improve
the diagnosis and treatment of follicular lymphoma. The Ximbio portfolio
contains a variety of research tools related to leukaemia, including a Cancer
Research UK antibody that is useful for the identification and
elimination of some leukaemias, an antibody that targets a SS2/36
marker for Acute Lymphocytic Leukaemia, a cell
line resistant to imatinib and a series of knock-out research tools with a deletion of the
human chromosomal region 13q14. Discover a range
of research tools for Leukaemia research on the Ximbio portfolio.
Researching Lymphoma
Cancer Research UK has several research
projects focusing on identifying new treatments for lymphoma. These include a
trial looking at rituximab
and chemotherapy as a treatment for follicular lymphoma in elderly patients,
a trial looking at using
molecular profiling to discover information about genes in lymphoma cells
and research
into how lymphoma cells manipulate surrounding cells to help them grow.
Previous Cancer Research UK research into lymphoma led to the discovery of the
first human cancer virus, the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). There are several EBV
research tools available on the Ximbio portfolio. These include several CR2
targeting antibodies that can be used to identify dendritic reticulum cells
in lymphoid tissues and an antibody that targets
the EBNA2 protein, that acts as a
transcriptional activator of several viral and cellular genes. The Ximbio
portfolio also includes several
Lymphoma research tools, including a research tool that
mimics a chromosomal translocation found in approximately 50% of Diffuse
Large B-Cell Lymphoma (DLBCL), a
Burkitt lymphoma cell line that can be used to study drug resistance after
treatment with Interferon and a research tool that expresses
the mutant MEF2B, the most common lymphoma associated oncogene.
Studying Myeloma
Previous Cancer Research UK research led to the identification of how bone marrow stem cells could lead to the presence of myeloma and other blood cancers as well as developing the drug melphalan. In addition, Cancer Research UK researchers identified the genetic variations that influence the chances of someone developing myeloma. Current Cancer Research UK research is focusing on investigating whether the drug ixazomib could help those people whose myeloma has returned, investigating changes in the genetic makeup of cancer as patients are being treated and studying the role of sleeping cells in the development of myeloma. Discover the range of myeloma research tools available on the Ximbio portfolio. These tools include several plasma myeloma cell lines from an advanced multiple myeloma tumour patient and a series of cell lines that generate antibody secreting hybridoma cell lines.