Manchester researcher awarded £300k as Blood Cancer UK launches £70 million strategy
North West
A researcher at the University of Manchester has been awarded a 3-year research fellowship as Blood Cancer UK launches a bold new strategy to invest £70 million in life-saving research over the next five years.
Dr Luciano Nicosia, based at the Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute at the University of Manchester, will receive £300,000 through the charity’s Early Career Advancement Fellowship programme.
His research focuses on developing smarter, more effective treatment options for people with two of the hardest-to-treat blood cancers, myeloma and acute myeloid leukaemia (AML).
There are over 100 different types of blood cancer, and collectively it makes it the UK’s fifth most common cancer. Myeloma is currently incurable and survival rates from AML remain shockingly low.
Dr Nicosia’s research centres on a new drug called CCS1477, which has shown promise in early studies by targeting proteins that drive the growth of blood cancer cells. While some patients respond well, others don’t and it’s still unclear why.
Dr Nicosia and colleagues will study how CCS1477 works at a local molecular level, aiming to uncover which patients are most likely to benefit from this treatment. He’ll also explore how combining this drug with existing therapies could improve outcomes for people who don’t respond to the CCS1477 drug on its own.
Dr Luciano Nicosia
Dr Nicosia said:
"I’m thrilled to receive the Blood Cancer UK Early Career Advancement Fellowship. This support will enable me to investigate how an exciting drug, with promising preclinical and clinical data, could be made more effective in addressing difficult to treat blood cancers like acute myeloid leukaemia and myeloma."
The announcement of the research project comes as Blood Cancer UK also reveals its new research strategy, which sets out an ambitious plan to accelerate progress through investment in prevention, early detection, and better treatments.
With blood cancer the UK’s third biggest cancer killer, the charity’s new research strategy will get us closer to no one dies from their blood cancer or its treatment.
Dr Richard Francis, Deputy Director of Research at Blood Cancer UK said:
“Blood cancer is the UK’s third largest cancer killer, taking away more than 15,000 lives every year. Fellowships like these give early career researchers the security and support to build their own teams and drive the discoveries that will help us beat blood cancer. We’re investing in science that changes lives and Dr Nicosia’s project is an exciting step forward in finding better, more personalised treatments for people with limited options.”
