Improving Health and Duration of Remission in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia Years 2&3

A2002506

Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) treatments are advancing, thanks to pioneering clinical trials led by the Haematology Department at Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust. These treatments are increasingly effective at eradicating leukaemic cells to the limits of our detection capabilities. However, two significant challenges remain: maintaining long-term remission, which can be threatened by the emergence of treatment-resistant leukaemic cells, and ensuring the immune system continues to function normally throughout treatment.

In this project, Dr. Darren Newton and the team will collect samples from patients participating in the FLAIR and STATIC CLL trials at Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust and The University of Leeds. Using highly sensitive next-generation sequencing and digital droplet PCR methods, they aim to detect treatment-resistant cells. Additionally, they will purify normal immune cells using magnetic cell sorting and identify any signs of immune dysfunction by performing RNA sequencing at a single-cell resolution. This data will be generated alongside ongoing clinical trials by scientists at the Haematological Malignancy Diagnostic Service (HMDS) and the Leeds Institute of Medical Research (LIMR), both based at St. James’s University Hospital.

The insights gained from this project will be crucial in addressing these two key aspects of CLL treatment, ultimately helping achieve long, healthy remissions for all CLL patients following treatment.

Lead Researcher	Dr Darren Newton
Co-Researchers	Dr Talha Munir Dr Andy Rawstron Dr Amelia Fisher (EC) Dr Charlotte Evans (EC) Dr Surita Dalal
Host Organisation	University of Leeds
Grant Amount	£52,350
Start Date	01/11/2024
Estimated Duration	23 months
Impact Areas	Health Inequalities – Cancer Care
Tags/key notes	Early Career Researcher Cancer and neoplasms