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Professor Tonks is studying what drives AML to try and find new treatment targets for people with the disease.

Professor Tonks stood in the lab, with his arms folded, wearing a red Blood Cancer UK lab coat.

Professor Alex Tonks

Project information

Lead researcher

Professor Alex Tonks, Cardiff University

Research team
  • A team at Cardiff University
Related conditions
  • Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML)
Research type
  • Non-clinical
Region
  • Wales
Grant awarded
  • Project Grant
Status
Ongoing
Funding award date
September 2022
Amount awarded

£250,000

The challenge

Acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) is an aggressive form of blood cancer which can be very difficult to treat. The treatments that are available are toxic and cause harsh side effects for people receiving them. There’s an urgent need to produce new and effective treatments for AML to improve the chances of survival.

The project

Professor Alex Tonks and his team have previously identified a protein that is changed in people with AML. However, little is known about how this protein is involved in the development of AML, and whether blocking the protein is able to stop the growth of the cancer.

Professor Tonks will study cells from people with AML and will see what happens to the cells when they block this protein. The research will also look for other targets in AML cells that have potential to be targeted by treatment in the future.

This study definitely fits the need to find better, kinder treatments for AML by understanding the disease better. Therefore, I think this study is an important one.

- Patient Voice Grant Advisory Network Member, in remission from AML

The future

The hope is that this project could lead to new treatments being developed for people with AML in that are more effective and less toxic, giving everyone the best possible chance of survival.

Help us beat blood cancer by funding a research project

  • Could help eight people newly diagnosed with blood cancer understand their condition.
  • Could help researchers study blood cancer cells to develop new treatments and improve early diagnosis.
  • Could help scientists identify genetic patterns in tumour samples to better understand how genes contribute to the development of blood cancer.
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