 |  |  | | | GLASGOW'S RESEARCH INTO LEUKAEMIA GETS NEW FUNDING BOOST | | | | |
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Release Date: 14th April 2003
New research into why leukaemia cells are able to survive longer than they should could bring hope to patients with the disease.
Scientists in Glasgow have been awarded £38,000 by Leukaemia Research Fund to get to the heart of the problem, which can cause leukaemia.
Normal cells undergo a very regulated life span and then die by committing suicide. The way they grow and divide is controlled by telomeres, small fragments of DNA at chromosome ends which shorten every time the cell divides.
Telomeres produce a tell-tale protein called telomerase which researchers know can promote immortality within cells. Dr Mark Drummond said: "We know that normal cells can only undergo a certain number of divisions before they stop. Some cancer cells have high levels of telomerase — suggesting abnormal telomere activity — and respond very poorly to treatment.
Dr Drummond and his team plan to measure levels of telomerase activity in samples from people with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), the commonest acute leukaemia in adults. This can be done rapidly and efficiently using a machine called a light-cycler.
The team will be looking at several hundred samples of blood taken from patients with AML. Dr Drummond said: "By studying large numbers of samples we will be able to identify patients who will do badly on current treatments and do something about it."
Dr David Grant, Scientific Director, said: "This type of research in Glasgow is just one of the ways we are trying to beat leukaemia. Using the latest technology and recognising patient outcomes, scientists can seek to improve treatments and improve the quality of life for these patients."
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