LPT funds research to study one type of leukaemia only found in babies

Understanding the science behind the research funded by The Little Princess Trust is not always an easy task.

But, thanks to Tomas Ganoza Pitti, one project supported by LPT is a little clearer. He works with Drs Cristina Pina and Sabrina Tosi on a type of blood cancer that is only found in babies (called ‘MNX1 acute myeloid leukaemia’).

Tomas has made a video to explain what each part of the cancer’s long name means and how this blood cancer begins.

Babies produce their blood cells very differently from adults, which means that MNX1 acute myeloid leukaemia (MNX1-AML) develops very differently from blood cancers in older children or in adults.

Tomas’ video covers the science behind MNX1-AML – but what are our researchers doing to help improve the future for babies with this cancer?

As part of Cristina’s team, Tomas is helping develop new ways to study MNX1-AML in the lab in the hopes of finding new treatments.

Because the cancer develops so differently from other blood cancers, it can be difficult to know which treatments will work best for patients.

So, the researchers are developing ‘models’ of MNX1-AML - cancer cells and 3D organisms that are grown in the lab.

These models will behave just like the cancer would in real patients, allowing the team to test new and repurposed treatments and find kinder, more effective options.

By the end of the project, Cristina’s team hope to have a shortlist of the most promising treatments for further testing and, eventually, clinical trials.