Finding new, and kinder treatments for diffuse large-B cell lymphoma

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is a type of blood cancer affecting over 5,000 people every year in the UK. It’s a fast-growing type of cancer and while there are treatments available to treat this disease, they tend to be highly toxic, and they don’t work for everyone.

Researchers have recently found a new drug called DTP3 that they think might work for people who have DLBCL. The drug interferes with how blood cancer cells grow and multiply, stopping this from happening. They also think the drug might be better than current treatment options as in initial studies they’ve seen that the drug specifically targets cancer cells, leaving healthy cells unharmed.

In this project, Professor Guido Franzoso and his team will develop a test that will help doctors understand which people with DLBCL could benefit from, and therefore be treated with this new drug.

The hope is that in the future, a new treatment will be available for people with DLBCL. Researchers also hope that by coming up with a test that can indicate who will benefit from the treatment could allow clinicians to ensure people are on the most appropriate treatment regime for them, giving everyone with the disease the best possible chance of survival.