|  |  |  | | | | EDINBURGH SCIENTISTS LOOK TO IMPROVE LEUKAEMIA TREATMENT | | | | |
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Release Date: 8th January 2003
Chemotherapy is vital treatment for people with leukaemia. But the way many of these treatments destroy cancer cells is not fully understood. University of Edinburgh researchers will tackle this problem with a grant of £140,000 from the Leukaemia Research Fund (LRF).
They will focus on types of chemotherapy that induce a phenomenon called apoptosis or programmed cell death, the method by which the body controls the number of circulating blood cells. Some cells are not sensitive to such drugs, allowing them to grow and divide even more.
Dr Karen Chapman - at the Western General Hospital - said the team will focus its research on glucocorticoids, a steroid.
"While there is little doubt these are important treatments for patients, we need to find out why some people fail to respond to them," she said.
Detailed laboratory work will enable them to fully understand the effect of these drugs on healthy and cancer cells.
Dr David Grant, LRF Scientific Director, says: "This is crucial work that will identify which patients are most likely to respond to this treatment, vital information for doctors wanting to treat each patient in the best way."
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