Project aims to save children from leukaemia

A TEAM of scientists, physicists and engineers at the University of Limerick is working on a new approach to help save children with leukaemia.

At present it can take weeks for cancer specialists to come up with a proper level of treatment for young victims of the disease.

The UL project, led by Professor Mark Davies and Dr Tara Dalton, originally from Castletroy and now living in Crecora, introduces engineering solutions to a greater extent into medicine. They are overseeing the research at the Stokes Institute of mechanical engineering in UL.

It is hoped clinical trials on the UL research will get underway next year in St Bartholomew’s Hospital, London, which is backing the UL research.

UL researchers will work on genetic analysis of samples done at St Bartholomew’s to come up with precise treatment levels for children.

“We are effectively going to tailor-make a specific level of chemotherapy for a child. This will have a number of advantages as some children can be more prone to more severe forms of the disease and some to less. If a child gets too intensive a treatment at a young age it can lead to secondaries at a later age,” said Dr Dalton.

The research plans to come up with a treatment level within two hours, which at present can take weeks involving the sampling of blood and tissues. “The goal of early and accurate diagnosis through genetic analysis is deeply challenging and it remains the target of many large cancer research programmes worldwide. The rapidity and accuracy of diagnosis is crucial in identifying the method and extent of treatment,” said Prof Davies.

The UL research has received €2 million in funding from the Government and the EU.