4a0cd695-ccdc-43a2-9bfc-a6efd6b38fbe.jpg?sfvrsn=c13e38dc_1)
Help more people survive blood cancer
Give a monthly donation to help us stay one step ahead of cancer with new smarter and targeted treatments – so that more people will survive blood cancer.
Cecelia Brunott (pictured above) was diagnosed with myeloma in 2020. Cecelia has been taking an innovative treatment for the past three years, which works by targeting and destroying key cancer proteins. The cancer remains under control, and she feels hopeful about the future. Cecelia’s story is a powerful reminder of why we must stay one step ahead of cancer. By predicting how the disease will evolve, we can continue developing smarter treatments that keep it in check for longer.
“I don't want to spend my time worrying. I want to spend my time enjoying life.” - Cecelia
What is blood cancer?
Blood cancer causes different types of blood cells grow uncontrollably, crowding out healthy blood cells and making it harder for the body to fight infections or heal wounds. It falls into these three main groups: leukaemia, lymphoma and myeloma.
Blood cancers can also evolve to evade treatment, meaning that while some patients initially respond well, their cancer may return, more resistant and aggressive than before. We need a new generation of smart and targeted cancer treatments so that all types of blood cancer can be controlled and effectively cured – so more people can live longer, better lives. Help us stay one step ahead of blood cancer.
Myeloma
Myeloma is an incurable form of blood cancer that arises from plasma cells, meaning patients need ongoing treatment to control their cancer.
Julius Manyoni is a Black Belt 6th Dan karate instructor. Having been fit and healthy all his life, he was shocked to be diagnosed with myeloma six years ago at the age of 60. Julius started chemotherapy, followed by a stem cell transplant, but these treatments didn’t work. He was then offered a targeted treatment which he’s been taking ever since. Julius is now in remission.
“I wake up every morning grateful to see the sun and breathe fresh air. I’m indebted to the scientists who’ve made these drugs possible. Better research is the only way to treat cancer.” - Julius
Developing new treatments to outsmart myeloma
Dr Charlotte Pawlyn is investigating how myeloma develops resistance to immunomodulatory drugs, which work by targeting myeloma cells and boosting the body’s immune response against the cancer. Her team recently identified genetic changes in myeloma cells linked to resistance and are now exploring strategies to ‘reverse resistance’, as well as investigating combination therapies which could help keep cancer at bay for longer.
Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML)
AML is an aggressive blood cancer of the white blood cells, that usually affects older adults but also occurs in children and young people. AML is particularly challenging to treat because of its complexity, rapid progression and resistance to existing treatments like chemotherapy and bone marrow transplants.
Karin Manchester, 65, (pictured) was told she had a week to live after being diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) in 2004. Thanks to treatment and a clinical trial, she has been in remission for 20 years.
Smarter, kinder treatments for acute myeloid leukaemia (AML)
Professor Kristian Helin and Dr Alex Radzisheuskaya recently found a key weakness in AML by identifying an alternative version of a protein complex called the NURF complex, which promotes the survival of leukaemia cells.
Why we need your support to stay one step ahead of blood cancer
Everyone deserves the reassurance that effective treatment options will be available if their cancer returns. A regular gift from you will help our researchers stay one step ahead, giving more patients a better chance of living well with the disease. Help us discover a new generation of smart and targeted cancer treatments, so more people can survive blood cancer.