Creating a new way to identify alterations that cause acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) in children

Acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) in children is often caused by alterations in DNA of blood cells which cause them to behave differently to normal blood cells. The DNA in our blood cells acts as an instruction manual, telling our cells how they should grow and what they should turn into. However, sometimes, these instructions aren’t correct, which causes alternations in our blood cells that mean they don’t behave as they should. Scientists have categorised many of the alterations in the DNA of blood cells, and whether this is likely to result in good or bad outcomes for children with leukaemia. If a child is diagnosed with leukaemia doctors perform a test to identify the type of alteration that they have. This helps them to decide on the best course of treatment. However, the current test performed by doctors does not include all of the possible DNA alterations that could cause leukaemia.

Dr Sarra Ryan and her team therefore want to develop a new technique that will allow doctors to test for all possible DNA alterations in the blood cells that cause leukaemia. They want to use to use a new approach using new technology that will allow them to test for all the different possible DNA alterations that current tests cannot identify. Their computer techniques will also tell them more about the exact details of the alterations. This will give a much clearer picture of the specific DNA alterations that have caused the child to develop leukaemia.

If Dr Ryan is successful, her research could have important outcomes for children diagnosed with leukaemia as it means that doctors will be able to understand more about the specific alterations that have caused the disease. Consequently, doctors will have more knowledge and understanding to identify the best course of treatment, giving children with leukaemia the best chance of survival. It could also allow researchers to develop new and improved treatments that target all the possible DNA alterations in the future.