The Babraham Institute receives strategic funding from the BBSRC
The Babraham Institute receives strategic funding from the BBSRC
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Each year, over 27,000 people in the UK are diagnosed with leukaemia or a related cancer. For patients who do not respond to other therapies, a bone marrow transplant remains their only hope of survival, however, only about a third of patients will find a tissue type match within their family. The remainder of patients rely on the generosity of an unrelated and matched donor.
The Anthony Nolan Trust runs the UK’s largest and most successful bone marrow register, and aims to find unrelated donors for patients who do not have a suitable family donor. On Tuesday November 11th, people at the Babraham Institute, a biomedical research charity in Cambridge, will be taking part in a screening programme to support the bone marrow registry clinic.
Cameron Osborne, Group Leader at the Babraham Institute, is investigating the chromosomal events that can trigger the onset of cancer. His research is funded by the BBSRC, the UK’s biology research council, and Leukaemia Research. Chromosomal breakages and incorrect re-linking of the strands of DNA between certain genes is often the underlying cause of cellular transformations that cause many types of cancer. Cameron’s research is providing insights into this process, known as chromosomal translocation, which may ultimately lead to the development of novel cancer treatments.
“This National Registry is vital for finding suitable bone marrow matches for many patients with life-threatening diseases such as leukaemia and genetic disorders like severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID). Through raising awareness of the charity on the campus, we have encouraged people to attend the bone marrow registry clinic. After answering few simple questions, a small blood sample is taken, which is sent for tissue-typing. I’ve done it, and it’s not at all painful.”
Debby Jepps, of the Anthony Nolan Trust said, “We are delighted that the Dr Osborne has high-lighted the bone marrow registry at Babraham. We are seeking healthy individuals who are 18 to 40 years old, and will be in the UK for at least the next two years. We are particularly keen to encourage men to join the registry as about 70 % of matched donors are male. If you are eligible to join then please seriously think about registering as quite simply the more people we have on the register the more chance we have of finding those life saving matches. If you would like to run a session at your place of work then please contact the Anthony Nolan Trust Head Office (www.anthonynolan.org.uk)".
Contact details:
Dr Claire Cockcroft; Head, External Relations
The Babraham Institute
Babraham Research Campus
Cambridge CB22 3AT
United Kingdom
Email: claire.cockcroft@babraham.ac.uk
Tel: +44 (0)1223 496260
Fax: +44 (0)1223 496002
Dr Cameron Osborne
Email: cameron.osborne@babraham.ac.uk
Debby Jepps, Donor Recruitment Manager, Anthony Nolan Trust
Tel: 07786 276 356/ 01223 873 279
Email: debby.jepps@anthonynolan.org.uk
Notes to Editors:
The Babraham Institute is a charitable organisation devoted to biomedical research and is an institute of the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC). The Institute’s research is focused on understanding the biological events that underlie the normal functions of cells and on how their failure or abnormality may lead to disease. As such, Institute scientists are striving to find cures for conditions where there is currently no treatment or where the existing treatment is not fully effective or causes serious side effects. The latest technologies are being used to study the basis of conditions such as neurodegenerative disorders, birth defects, cancer and diseases of the immune and cardiovascular systems. With a strategic focus on ‘healthy ageing’, novel approaches for tackling chronic diseases and public health concerns like obesity are being discovered. The Institute’s innovative research is commercialised through Babraham Bioscience Technologies (BBT) Ltd, which also manages Babraham’s vibrant Bioincubator on the Babraham Research Campus, six miles south-east of Cambridge. Website: www.babraham.ac.uk
The Anthony Nolan Trust
The Anthony Nolan Trust is simply a lifeline; providing life saving bone marrow donors to hundreds of children and adults waiting for transplants. The Anthony Nolan also undertakes vital research leading to improvements in the effectiveness and safety of bone marrow transplants. Currently 16,000 patients in the UK and throughout the world are looking to find a suitable bone marrow donor. There are not enough bone marrow donors registered. In order to help save more lives The Anthony Nolan Trust urgently needs more donors and ongoing financial support. More individuals aged 18- 40 are needed to join The Anthony Nolan Trust's bone marrow register. The Anthony Nolan Trust specifically needs to recruit more young donors, male donors and donors from all BME backgrounds.
What happens at a donor recruitment session?
Our specialist donor recruitment sessions are held in a variety of venues, which meet our stringent Health & Safety criteria. Members of the public or employees if it is a corporate session, aged between 18 and 40 years are encouraged to ‘drop in’, carefully consider joining the register, read some literature and chat to our staff. They then complete a medical questionnaire and give a small sample of blood. Joining the register takes approximately 20-30 minutes of someone’s time but this act could ultimately save a life.
Babraham Institute - Babraham Research Campus - Cambridge - United Kingdom