Since formation in 1989, Leukaemia Busters have helped pioneer cutting edge antibody treatments for childhood and adult blood cancers that include acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), B-cell lymphoma (B-NHL) and multiple myeloma (MM).
We have developed, produced and tested in clinical trial patients four antibody based drugs called immunotoxins. We were the first group in the UK working in collaboration with Cancer Research UK and the UK Childhood Cancer Study Group to conduct a clinical trial with one of our antibody drugs called BUSAP in children with relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.
In our dedicated specialist laboratory, The Simon Flavell Leukaemia Research Laboratory at Southampton General Hospital, active between 1991 and 2023, we conducted experimental studies to help us understand how antibodies work enabling us to devise ways of improving their effectiveness at killing leukaemia and lymphoma cells. Our laboratory-based studies have led to discoveries that in future should have real practical value for improving the delivery of drugs using antibodies to unwanted cancer cells. All of our work is published in international medical journals for other scientists to draw useful information from.
We look ahead to a bright future for immunotherapies for leukaemia and lymphoma and will continue to fund research that leads to innovative new treatments for all forms of blood cancer.
Scientific Publications
An essential part of the scientific research landscape is the global dissemination of research results to other fellow scientists working on the same or similar topics. This greatly enhances the ongoing process of discovery in which others are able to draw on the results of research groups around the world.
The publication of results in reputable scientific journals is one of the major routes by which research information is disseminated worldwide. The publication of research results by scientists supported by Leukaemia Busters funding has always been and will always be a top priority. Below is a small limited selection of the publications with links to the actual papers on PubMed that describe some of the most important discoveries made by Leukaemia Busters supported scientists over the years.
Flavell, D. J.; Flavell, S. U., Plant-Derived Type I Ribosome Inactivating Protein-Based Targeted Toxins: A Review of the Clinical Experience. Toxins 2022, 14, (8), 563. PubMed
Flavell, D. J.; Holmes, S. E.; Warnes, S. L.; Flavell, S. U., The TLR3 Agonist Poly Inosinic:Cytidylic Acid Significantly Augments the Therapeutic Activity of an Anti-CD7 Immunotoxin for Human T-cell Leukaemia. Biomedicines 2019, 7, (1), 13. PubMed
Wensley, J. H.; Johnston, D. A.; Smith, W. S.; Holmes, S. E.; Flavell, S. U.; Flavell, D. J., A Flow Cytometric Method to Quantify the Endosomal Escape of a protein Toxin to the Cytosol of Target Cells. Pharm Res 2019, 37, (1), 16. PubMed
Smith, W. S.; Baker, E. J.; Holmes, S. E.; Koster, G.; Hunt, A. N.; Johnston, D. A.; Flavell, S. U.; Flavell, D. J., Membrane Cholesterol is essential for Triterpenoid Saponin Augmentation of a Saporin-based Immunotoxin Directed Against CD19 on Human Lymphoma Cells. Biochim Biophys Acta Biomembranes 2017, 1859, 993-1007. PubMed
Flavell, D. J., Countering immunotoxin immunogenicity. Br J Cancer 2016, 114, (11), 1177-9. PubMed
Flavell, D. J.; Warnes, S. L.; Bryson, C. J.; Field, S. A.; Noss, A. L.; Packham, G.; Flavell, S. U., The anti-CD20 antibody rituximab augments the immunospecific therapeutic effectiveness of an anti-CD19 immunotoxin directed against human B-cell lymphoma. British journal of Haematology 2006, 134, (2), 157-70. PubMed
Flavell, D.J.; Warnes, S.; Noss, A.; Flavell. S.U. Host-mediated antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity contributes to the in vivo therapeutic efficacy of an anti-CD7-saporin immunotoxin in a severe combined immunodeficient mouse model of human T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia Cancer Research 1998, 58, (24), 5787-94 PubMed
Flavell, D. J.; Noss, A.; Pulford, K. A. F.; Ling, N.; Flavell, S. U., Systemic therapy with 3BIT, a triple combination cocktail of anti-CD19, -CD22 and -CD38-saporin immunotoxins is curative of human B-cell lymphoma in SCID mice. Cancer Research 1997, 57, 4824-4829. PubMed
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