Royal Free Hospital

University College London is a Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research Centre of Excellence.

We are currently investing £7.1 million into research at this centre. Find out more about all Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research’s Centres of Excellence.

University College London has been recognised for its pioneering research and clinical expertise that is delivering new and better treatments to patients with blood cancers, including leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma in London and across the UK.

Our scientists at University College London are experts who also treat blood cancer patients at the local University College Hospital and Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead, London.

In particular, University College London has been recognised for its innovative research in the area of immunotherapy, which is developing alternative treatments for adults with blood cancers who cannot be tolerate conventional treatments.

Immunotherapy

Immunotherapy is a promising new treatment that harnesses patient’s own immune systems to fight infection.

Professor Hans Stauss and Dr Emma Morris have long-term Specialist Programme funding from Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research to develop a type of immunotherapy, called TCR gene therapy for patients with leukaemia who cannot be cured with standard chemotherapy.

TCR gene therapy works by injecting disease-fighting white blood cells with an anti cancer gene that recognises leukaemia cells in a patient’s blood.

A new clinical trial, testing this vaccine treatment is soon to open for adults with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) as part of a Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research Clinical trial at the Royal Free Hospital, London.

Vaccines for safer stem cell transplants

Dr Ronjon Chakraverty, who also specialises in immunotherapy, is running a pioneering clinical trial, funded by Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research, to reduce the risk of relapse and post treatment complications in patients with Hodgkin lymphoma who have had a stem cell transplant.

This new trial is testing a vaccine, which is given to patients three months after their transplant that contains specially modified immune cells from the donor designed to fight off lymphoma cells without causing harmful side effects.

Research developing this new treatment has been supported by Dr Clare Bennett, who was awarded the prestigious Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research Bennett Fellowship to develop strategies for administering immunotherapy treatments by vaccination.

Improving treatments for lymphoma

Dr Karl Peggs, at University College London, is also developing immunotherapy strategies to improve treatments for patients with lymphoma.

Dr Peggs is investigating the possibility of reducing regulatory cells in the blood stream, which suppress the immune system, so that is more powerful and able to destroy cancer cells in patients with lymphoma.

Guiding treatments for adults with leukaemia

Dr Adele Fielding and Dr Bella Patel are refining the minimal residual disease (MRD) test for adults with acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL).

The MRD test, which was originally developed by our researchers to guide treatment for children with leukaemia, allows doctors to tailor treatments for individual patients. Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research are funding the MRD feasibility study at the Royal Free Hospital as part of a national clinical trial for adults with ALL.

Dr Fielding is also investigating the use of a non-harmful strain of the measles virus as a possible new blood cancer treatment.

Clinical trial for myeloma

Dr Kwee Yong at University College London, is running a clinical testing a new combination of drugs, Bortezomib, Adriamycin and Dexamethasone, in patients with myeloma who have not received any other treatments.

Genetic analysis of blood cancers

The myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN) are a rare group of blood cancers related to leukaemia in which the body makes too may blood cells.

Professor David Linch and Dr Rosemary Gale are investigating a newly identified genetic mutation linked to a type of MPN called essential thrombocythaemia. By studying how this gene causes the symptoms of this disease, our scientists will improve diagnosis and treatments for these rare blood cancers.

Professor David Linch, also has long-term Specialist Programme funding from Leukaemia & Lymphoma Research to investigate the genes and molecules responsible for causing acute myeloid leukaemia (AML). This research will lead to the development of new, more targeted treatments for this difficult-to-treat blood cancer.

New drug targets for leukaemia

Dr Asim Khwaja, at University College London, is investigating new drug targets for adults with acute leukaemias.

Research has shown that a molecule called N-CAD, found on leukaemia cells, protects them from being destroyed by chemotherapy drugs. Dr Khwaja is investigating ways of blocking this molecule with new drugs so that standard chemotherapy agents are more effective at killing cancer cells.