Dr Malcolm Taylor, University of Manchester

Though highly successful in the majority of cases, the treatment of childhood leukaemia using chemotherapy is a punishing process which has a number of side effects.

Whilst research to find out more about the causes of childhood leukaemia continues, with a view to establishing ways of preventing the disease, progress is slow.

An alternative that does not require the identification of causative agents is to exploit a child’s natural immune defences to eliminate leukaemia in its early stages, before it becomes full blown and requires such powerful treatment.

Polio and other childhood diseases have been almost completely eradicated in this way through the use of vaccines.

Dr Taylor has found evidence to suggest that some types of HLA molecules on the white blood cells of some children may be associated with protection from leukaemia.

HLA molecules are a vital part of a person’s ability to recognise foreign molecules, such as infections and cancer and they differ from person to person.

Dr Taylor and colleagues have shown that children with leukaemia have a reduced frequency of certain types of HLA molecules.

This suggests that other, healthy children are protected from leukaemia because their type of HLA molecules trigger an immune response to the leukaemia at an early stage to stop it developing.

Dr Taylor will investigate the interaction between different types of HLA molecules and leukaemia by using a combination of HLA genetic analysis and computer simulation to identify additional “protective” HLA molecules.

They will use this to model the effect of altering leukaemia proteins so that they are recognised by the immune systems of a majority of children.

Ultimately the team hope that this work will enable them to develop a vaccine to prevent the development of childhood leukaemia.

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