Finding new ways to treat chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML)
Most people with CML have a protein called BCR-ABL switched on inside their cells which causes the growth of cancer cells. In this project, Dr Oberoi and her team want to understand more about this protein to see if they can find ways to switch it off.
The challenge
Chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) is a slow growing type of blood cancer that can be treated, but currently cannot be cured. Around 700 people are diagnosed with CML each year in the UK. Most people with this type of blood cancer have a protein called “BCR-ABL” switched on inside their cells, which causes the cells to divide and grow uncontrollably. Understanding more about this protein could help us create new treatments for the disease.
The project
In this project, Dr Jasmeen Oberoi and her team want to build a 3D model of this protein to understand more about how it works and how it causes cancer. They want to look at the shape of this protein and how it interacts with other molecules in the cell. By detailing the interactions, the team hope to find ways they might be able to block these interactions and stop the cancer cells from growing.
The future
The hope is that this project will lead to a better understanding of BRC-ABL, and how it works with other molecules inside cells to cause cancer cells to grow. This will mean the team can go on to look at new ways to stop this protein from working, which could lead to new treatments being developed for CML.
