New research into a rare type of leukaemia has been funded, thanks to several Children’s Cancer and Leukaemia Group (CCLG) Special Named Funds.
This new project will investigate why a rare blood cancer called juvenile myelomonocytic leukaemia (JMML) is so hard to cure.
Professor Adam Mead, at the University of Oxford, wants to understand why JMML relapses after stem cell transplants and how to prevent it with his new project, titled: ‘How do leukaemia stem cells talk to the immune system in juvenile myelomonocytic leukaemia?’.
He believes that special leukaemia stem cells have the ability to switch off the immune system. If the immune system is switched off, it stops hunting down JMML cancer cells, potentially leading to relapse. The team plan to study how these stem cells interact with the immune system at all times from diagnosis to relapse.
Professor Mead hopes that the study of these interactions will help to understand the mechanisms that make JMML resistant to treatment and suggest new ways to treat it.
He said:
The purpose of this project is to study the JMML leukaemia stem cells at different timepoints in the patient journey.
With our previous work in JMML we were able to identify JMML stem cells, which are the cells that give rise to the leukaemia, and through this project we will study which of the cells’ vulnerabilities could be utilised for the design of novel and more effective therapies.
Our ultimate goal is to enable scientists to design new treatments for JMML and to directly improve the prognosis of this aggressive leukaemia.
This project has been funded by CCLG Special Named Funds, #PearlPower, Hallie’s Helping Hands, and Carey’s Friends.
Carey Drew was just nine months old when he was diagnosed with JMML in 2021. He underwent gruelling treatment, including chemotherapy and a bone marrow transplant.
His mum, Naomi Austin, said:
Nothing can prepare you for hearing that your baby has cancer. Our entire world shattered, and everything spiralled out of control. It was months of going into hospital every day and never being told he was going to be okay. It is impossible to put into words all the ways in which cancer changes your world, it impacts every element of your life.
Due to the fact his cancer is so rare there is very little information about the outcomes for these children. Carey was given a 50:50 chance of survival and we are so lucky that he fell on the right side of these odds. Other families we know have not been so lucky.
Naomi wanted to set up a fund at CCLG to fundraise for childhood cancer research and help other children diagnosed with JMML in the future.
She said: “We are desperate for families like ours to benefit from kinder treatments in the future, and I knew that research into childhood cancer was ridiculously underfunded, so this seemed like the perfect cause.
“It is also a wonderful legacy for Carey and Aubrey [Carey’s older sister], and lovely to have something very positive come out such an awful experience.”
Rachel BartlettBundy set up #PearlPower in 2018 to fund research in memory of her daughter Pearl. Through various events, including their home village of Hassocks ‘going gold’, Rachel's local community has helped raise almost £100,000.
She said:
Our family was turned upside down by childhood cancer. We had no idea how common it is or how poorly funded.
Being able to help fund this research in Pearl’s name, to fight aggressive types of childhood cancer with terribly poor outcomes like JMML, is such a positive way to remember her.
Dr Sarah Evans, CCLG Research Manager, said:
Children with rare cancers like JMML desperately need their own research to improve survival rates and their quality of life after treatment.
We’re proud to be able to fund research into rare and hard-to-treat cancers like this through our fantastic Special Named Fund programme. The families who have funded this research have worked so hard to reach their goal of funding childhood cancer research, and their commitment is truly inspiring.
Professor Mead added: “We are extremely grateful for the funding provided by the families which makes this work possible. This study would not have been feasible without the support of childhood cancer families, who have not only generously funded this project but also donated valuable cancer samples used to underpin our JMML research.”