Modelling and targeting Acute Myeloid Leukaemia cells in the bone marrow protective niche

This project grant is funded by a British Society of Haematology start-up grant and the Sussex Cancer Fund.

Acute Myeloid Leukaemia is an aggressive disease with poor survival outcomes. The tumour cells remain anchored in the protective niche of the bone marrow where they can avoid destruction by conventional therapies. In this project we are modelling the AML bone marrow to investigate the mechanisms the tumour cells use to anchor themselves and identifying ways to force them out and into the peripheral blood. Here they will be more susceptible to destruction by conventional therapies.