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Disease-specific research: Improving patient lives

The research

Led by Professor Vikki Rand, this research project brings together the expertise of the NHC, the Great North Children’s Hospital, Newcastle University and the Children’s Cancer and Leukaemia Group. Its goal is to better understand the genomics of childhood lymphoma to improve patient outcomes and reduce debilitating treatment side effects.

Through analysis of the DNA and RNA of lymphoma patients, the research group is exploring what drives the disease; identifying the genomic markers of risk within children. The group’s work is focused on identifying those patients with less aggressive disease that would benefit from a gentler therapeutic approach, as well as the most resistant cases where there is a real need to improve treatments.

The impact

To date, the findings of this research have been presented at several national conferences, and a manuscript has been submitted to a high-level journal, with several more in preparation. With improving patient lives at its core, the ambition is to continue developing a leading research group which moves treatments forward here in the UK and much further afield.

The enthusiasm of the team at NHC, combined with their research capacity and high-level facilities has allowed our group to drive forward a programme of work aimed at developing our understanding of the causes and prognostic features of childhood lymphoma.

We are looking forward to continuing to develop the collaboration, making the most of the skills and facilities available across our two institutions to build a leading UK research group focused on childhood lymphoma research

Dr Simon Bomken, Consultant Paediatric Oncologist at the Great North Children’s Hospital

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