|  |  |  | | | | SHEFFIELD'S £160,000 bOOST AWARD RAISES HOPE FOR CHILDHOOD LEUKAEMIA | | | | |
| |  ALL cells
Release Date: 10th December 2002
The varying responses of children with leukaemia to their life-saving cancer treatment comes under scrutiny, by scientists at the University of Sheffield Medical School.
The way in which children's bodies handle standard treatment for leukaemia has significant impact on their survival, suggests Dr Lynne Lennard at the Royal Hallamshire Hospital.
Backed by an award of £160,000 from the Leukaemia Research Fund (LRF) Dr Lennard and her team will compare two standard drugs _ 6-thioguanine (6TG) and 6-mercaptopurine (6MP). Both are used to treat acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), the most common type of childhood cancer.
The work forms part of a national study into childhood leukaemia (see notes for editors).
Dr Lennard said: "Both these drugs form part of the long-term treatment for leukaemia and are very useful for most children. It is important to identify children who may not respond early in therapy, as their disease is more difficult to treat. We also want to learn why some children experience side effects whilst others do not."
The research team has already discovered that a naturally occurring enzyme, thiopurine methyltransferase, regulates the breakdown of the drugs and the subsequent concentration in the blood. How the body handles the drug could have significant impact on the outcome of treatment.
Dr Lennard adds: "We suspect that the level of this enzyme in a child's blood can be used to predict how that child will respond to these drugs. Our research will bring vital information on the type of drug, and the quantity of drug, that should be given to the child to give the best chance of long-term survival."
Dr David Grant, LRF Scientific Director, said: "This research will have a major impact on how we treat children with leukaemia. The more we understand about these drugs, the more we can improve their effectiveness for the patient."
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