Leukaemia Biology

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Research areas

Novel therapies targeting the bromodomain acetyltransferases

CCS1477 ( or inobrodib), is an EP300/CBP bromodomain inhibitor that induces cell-cycle arrest and differentiation in haematologic malignancy models through disrupting EP300/CBP recruitment to enhancer networks occupied by critical transcription factors.
In patients with relapsed/refractory disease, CCS1477 monotherapy induces differentiation responses in AML and objective responses in myeloma.

A note from the Group Leader – Tim Somervaille

Recent years have seen significant progress in the development of better therapies for people with blood cancer, with concomitant improvements in response. However, there remains a substantial unmet need for more effective, and less toxic, treatments. For example, outcomes in acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) are particularly poor in older adults and those with relapsed or refractory disease, and malignancies such as multiple myeloma are incurable for the great majority. The overarching goal of our group at the Cancer Research UK Manchester Institute is to deliver a bench-to-bedside programme of blood cancer research. Much of our effort is focussed on understanding how transcription factors and their associated chromatin cofactors sustain myeloid blood cancers such as AML. In keeping with this, in recent years we have worked with colleagues in pharma and in the clinic to bring forward novel therapies targeting the histone demethylase LSD1, and the bromodomain acetyltransferases EP300 and CBP 

Meet the group

Here are the members of my lab. They are a great bunch of hard working and accomplished scientists and it is a pleasure to work with them.

Photo of Tim Somervaille
Tim Somervaille

Senior Group Leader

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Fabio Amaral 

Principal Computational Biologist

A portrait picture of one of our researchers Zsuzsanna Ballai
Zsuzsanna Ballai 

PhD Student

Portrait of Michael Jones
Michael Jones

PhD Student

Luciano Nicosia Postdoctoral Fellow
Luciano Nicosia

Postdoctoral Fellow

Gary Spencer
Gary Spencer

Senior Scientific Officer

PhD student Alexia Strickson
Alexia Strickson 

MB-PhD Student

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Helena West

PhD Student

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Bettina Wingelhofer

Postdoctoral Fellow

All Institute Publications

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https://doi.org/10.1186/s12943-024-02157-x

The PI3K-AKT-mTOR axis persists as a therapeutic dependency in KRASG12D-driven non-small cell lung cancer

12 November 2024

Institute Authors (1)

Amaya Viros

Labs & Facilities

Genome Editing and Mouse Models

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Research Group

Skin Cancer & Ageing

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https://doi.org/10.1186/s13045-024-01610-0

The small inhibitor WM-1119 effectively targets KAT6A-rearranged AML, but not KMT2A-rearranged AML, despite shared KAT6 genetic dependency

8 October 2024

Institute Authors (6)

Georges Lacaud, Mathew Sheridan, Michael Lie-a-ling, Liam Clayfield, Jessica Whittle, Jingru Xu

Research Group

Stem Cell Biology

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/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Annual-Report-2023.pdf

2023 Annual Report

13 September 2024

https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adh7954

Vitamin D regulates microbiome-dependent cancer immunity

25 April 2024

Institute Authors (1)

Evangelos Giampazolias

Research Group

Cancer Immunosurveillance

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https://doi.org/10.1038/s41684-024-01363-w

Streamlining mouse genome editing by integrating AAV repair template delivery and CRISPR-Cas electroporation

10 April 2024

Institute Authors (1)

Natalia Moncaut

Labs & Facilities

Genome Editing and Mouse Models

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https://www.biorxiv.org/content/10.1101/2023.12.13.568969v1

A novel human model to deconvolve cell-intrinsic phenotypes of genetically dysregulated pathways in lung squamous cell carcinoma

14 December 2023

Institute Authors (3)

Carlos Lopez-Garcia, Caroline Dive, Anthony Oojageer

Research Group

Translational Lung Cancer Biology

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Latest from CRUK MI

Cancer Research In the Paterson Building

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Leukaemia Immunology & Transplantation

The Leukaemia Immunology and Transplantation laboratory aim to develop a comprehensive strategy to prevent post-transplant relapse in patients treated with allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation – the only curative therapy for many patients with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) and other poor-risk haematological malignancies.

Patient derived preclinical models reveal novel biology of SCLC

Immune detection of dying tumour cells can elicit cancer immunity when the host permits it

Cancer Research In the Paterson Building
Leukaemia Immunology & Transplantation
Patient derived preclinical models reveal novel biology of SCLC

Institute life in Manchester

We strive to make our community a welcoming, caring and enthusiastic one, fuelling ambition with opportunities for training and mentoring to help us all achieve our personal and professional goals.

“We are so pleased to have received the funding to enable us to test our hypothesis in the lab. If we can create a new medicine that can precisely target a specific type of cell within the tumour, and restore anti-cancer immune responses, this will be a game-changer for oesophageal cancer patients “

Sara Valpione

Former Institute Clinical Fellow and now Clinician in Residence within the CRUK National Biomarker Centre

“My charity bake sales – known as “David’s Great British Bake Off” – are always a hit, home baked products taste so much better than shop bought and are greatly appreciated by staff!”

David Jenkins

Purchasing Officer

“We’ve seen some remarkable responses, with an improvement for some patients within days. This is an early phase trial so there’s a lot more work to do. But the data we have so far is very encouraging and could help many thousands of people in the future”

Tim Somervaille

Senior Group Leader

“It is a pleasure to introduce my team who work to deliver our research goals. We work in a friendly and collaborative environment, supporting each other’s projects.  “

Amaya Virós

CRUK Advanced Clinician Scientist Fellow

Careers that have a lasting impact on cancer research and patient care

We are always on the lookout for talented and motivated people to join us.  Whether your background is in biological or chemical sciences, mathematics or finance, computer science or logistics, use the links below to see roles across the Institute in our core facilities, operations teams, research groups, and studentships within our exceptional graduate programme.