|  |  |  | | | | CARDIFF GETS BOOST FOR RESEARCH INTO MYELODYSPLASIA | | | | |
| |  Dr Richard Darley
Release Date: 5th March 2003
Top Cardiff scientists have been awarded £98,500 by the Leukaemia Research Fund to find out why some patients with myelodysplasia (MDS), a serious blood disorder, develop leukaemia.
Dr Richard Darley and Professor Alan Burnett at the University of Wales College of Medicine (UWCM) are looking at a cancer-causing gene called RAS which is involved in the development of MDS.
"We have found that there is a high frequency of MDS patients with an abnormal RAS gene. It is now known to be one of the key abnormalities in the disruption of normal blood cell production," Dr Darley said.
The mainline treatment for patients is blood transfusions to correct their anaemia. Another problem for patients is that they do not have enough normal blood cells circulating in their body, making them susceptible to infections and this can be fatal.
The LRF team at the university's Department of Haematology, is particularly interested in a protein called PKC (protein kinase C enzyme). The protein is a crucial regulator of blood cell growth. RAS activates PKC and in this way it disrupts normal blood cell formation.
The team has already found that by inhibiting PKC they can block the effect of the cancer-causing gene. They now want to assess the effect of this drug treatment on patient's cells in a pre-clinical study.
Dr Darley said: "The grant will allow us to look at the potential of this type of treatment for MDS patients. Similar approaches have already proved very effective, for example in the treatment of chronic myeloid leukaemia.
"By using effective drugs targeting PKCs, we hope to reduce the need for repeated blood transfusions for these patients and improve their quality of life. In the long-term, if the cancer gene can be blocked, it may also prevent these patients from developing leukaemia," he added.
Dr David Grant, LRF Scientific Director, said: "This is a good example of bench to the bedside research. The future for leukaemia treatment is to take the scientific knowledge generated by LRF-supported research and to identify new targets for therapy."
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