 |  |  | | | EDINBURGH LEADS £2.5M STEM CELL RESEARCH PROGRAMME | | | | |
| |
Release Date: 20th September 2005
Leukaemia Research has invested over £2.5 million in Edinburgh to unravel how stem cells found in bone marrow, make the billions of blood cells we produce every day.
Dr Lesley Forrester and her team at the University of Edinburgh are searching for the key genes which regulate blood cell production. It is clear that faults within these master genes can upset the balance of the blood system and lead to leukaemia or lymphoma. This also has implications for treatment because it is important to know which cells harbour the genetic mistakes and should thus be targeted with anti-cancer drugs.
“Once we know where and why these faults occur we can look for effective ways of overcoming the problem and help devise new treatments,” says Dr Forrester.
At the Institute of Stem Cell Research (ISCR) Dr Alexander Medvinsky’s team is studying how the blood system evolves during foetal development.
Dr Medvinsky explains: “We have identified a gene called AML 1 which we believe plays a key role in stem cell function. This gene is also implicated in some forms of leukaemia and thanks to the support of Leukaemia Research we can work towards identifying exactly where it is involved in the development of these blood cancers.”
Leukaemia Research Senior Bennett Fellow Dr Claire Blackburn and her team based at the ISCR are studying how infection-fighting T cells are made from a particular type of stem cell. This research will help them explore the possibility of producing large supplies of T cells specific to an individual patient from “thymic stem cells”. This would then be used to help rebuild immune systems and ultimately to save lives.
The Head of Biological Sciences at the University of Edinburgh, Professor Andrew Illius, comments: “Some of the future treatments for leukaemia will undoubtedly come from better understanding the role of stem cells in the development of blood cancers. We are delighted Leukaemia Research is committed to investing in stem cell research in Edinburgh and this will benefit patients throughout the UK.”
|
|
|
|
|
