Paul O'Gorman LRC Newsletter: Summer 2016

The Paul O’Gorman Leukaemia Research Centre Newsletter: Summer 2016

Major breakthrough in Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia research See page 3

Honorary degrees for the Howats See page 2

Alex McKenzie’s fantastic fundraising See page 4

Welcome

The first half of 2016 has been very exciting. Working in partnership with the University of Manchester, we made a major breakthrough in Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia (CML) research by discovering an ‘Achilles heel’ and designing treatment to exploit it and eradicate the disease in laboratory models. Although this research is at an early stage, it is very promising.

Our team will now build on this breakthrough beginning human trials in patients with drug-resistant CML. Philanthropic support helps to make research discoveries like this possible.

In June, I was delighted to join Malcolm and Margaret Howat to celebrate their honorary degrees, in recognition of their transformational support for cancer research at the University of Glasgow.

We have also enjoyed some new events.

Alexander McCall Smith joined us in the University Chapel to discuss his new novel at a special event organised

by Fergus Hall, a music student and volunteer. Fergus composed a piece of music specifically for this special event and encouraged guests to donate. I also met many of you at the first Tommy Burns Leukaemia Research Dinner in May. The dinner, organised by Dr Vignir Helgason, was great fun and raised almost £9,000.

We’re already planning next year’s event.

Our popular Munro Challenge event is coming up in September. You can also join us at our open evening to see how your donations are making a difference.

Thank you for your continued support.

Professor Tessa Holyoake Director The Paul O’Gorman Leukaemia Research Centre 2

Honorary degrees for philanthropic work

Malcolm and Margaret Howat have received honorary degrees from the University of Glasgow.

The couple’s charity ‘The Howat Foundation’, has supported some of the most significant cancer research breakthroughs made at the University and has provided transformational support to the Paul O’Gorman Leukaemia Research Centre.

Mrs Howat was diagnosed with Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia in 2005 and was treated by Professor Tessa Holyoake, Director. Mrs Howat said ‘Tessa became a friend – she couldn’t do enough for me and gave me the confidence and courage to face treatment – she convinced me I had a chance.’

The couple has made major charitable donations to support equipment needed to identify and separate cells, and a system which allows the researchers to examine 384 genes in a single cell.

Their support has also funded a five year project looking at leukaemia in childhood and, recently, to support research into how leukaemia cells can defy treatment.

Professor Anton Muscatelli, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of the University of Glasgow, said: ‘The impact of the Howat Foundation’s philanthropy is immeasurable – not only to a number of areas of cancer research but also to early career researchers. Margaret Howat’s personal courage in the face of her diagnosis of chronic myeloid leukaemia (CML) and her support to other CML patients have also been inspirational.’

Professor Holyoake said: ‘The Howats have allowed us to progress and expand at a much faster rate. They have allowed us to attract the best scientists from around the world and extend the team.

Their donations have allowed us to have state-of-the-art technology that we would otherwise not have been able to afford.’

Taking on Tough Mudder Thank you and congratulations to POG-LRC’s very own Cassie Clarke and friends, Russell Christy, Mateusz Brzezinski, Elspeth Brzezinska and Ben Clarke, who took part in the Tough Mudder event on Saturday, 25 June, raising £280 so far.

Cassie said: ‘I started working as a Post Doctoral Scientist at the The Paul O’Gorman Leukaemia Research Centre in October, and wanted to do something to raise money and awareness for the

really great work that goes on at the centre to further the understanding of leukaemia.

‘Tough Mudder is a 12 mile mud and obstacle course, including delights such as being plunged into ice water, navigating a field of live electrical wires, and scaling 12 foot walls. Taking part was a huge personal challenge, but with the help of my husband and friends we did it with lots of laughs and raised some money for the PoG in the process’.

The Idea of Heat in Glasgow In May, 200 guests joined us in the University of Glasgow Chapel to hear the first performance of ‘The Idea of Heat in Glasgow’ composed by supporter and music student, Fergus Hall, and based on words by the novelist, Alexander McCall Smith.

The premiere coincided with the launch of Mr McCall Smith’s latest novel My Italian Bulldozer, and guests enjoyed a discussion with Mr McCall Smith and journalist Rosemary Goring.

The piece was performed by musicians from the University, and £700 was raised to help fund research at POG-LRC. Life-changing research Fergus explained: ‘For me the choice to involve Paul O’Gorman in our project was a natural one. My dad is sixteen years post bone marrow transplant. Often we have had discussions about the hugely significant developments that have come about in those sixteen years as a result of the research carried out by the Paul O’Gorman Leukaemia Research Centre.

‘For my dad, in post treatment, these developments are life-changing but I am aware that for many these developments will be life-saving as thousands of people, like my dad, are diagnosed every year.’

The Tommy Burns Leukaemia Research Dinner Over 100 guests attended the inaugural Tommy Burns Leukaemia Research Dinner at Glasgow University Union on Saturday, 21 May, and the evening raised £8,984!

We were delighted to have STV presenter and POG supporter Laura Boyd as host for the evening. Laura’s energy and enthusiasm combined with the generosity of our guests ensured the auction was a success with prizes including three Celtic tops signed by Henrik Larsson and tickets to the Summer Nights concerts at the Kelvingrove bandstand.

It was also a privilege to have the Rt Hon Brian Wilson, Celtic director and historian, as after dinner speaker. He entertained the audience with some football stories, and spoke emotionally about Tommy Burns and the vital importance of cancer research today.

Dr Vignir Helgason, one of our leading leukaemia scientists, works in the Tommy Burns Laboratory in the Wolfson Wohl Cancer Research Centre. He came up with the idea of the fundraising dinner to raise vital funds for POG while honouring football legend Tommy Burns.

Breakthrough!

Working in partnership with the University of Manchester, a team of scientists at the Paul O’Gorman Leukaemia Research Centre have discovered an ‘Achilles heel’ of Chronic Myeloid Leukaemia (CML) and found drugs to successfully target this weakness and eradicate the disease in laboratory models.

Guided by the concept of precision medicine (the right drug, at the right time, for the right effect in the patient), the team designed a new treatment to exploit this critical weakness in the cancer.

Using CML cells transplanted into mice, the authors demonstrated that drugs targeting these two proteins killed the cells that cause the leukaemia, effectively eradicating the disease.

The six year study has been published in the prestigious Nature publication.

Professor Tessa Holyoake, pictured above, who led the team from the Paul O’Gorman Leukaemia Research Centre, said: ‘We are certainly excited by the results shown in the study. The research – a fantastic example of precision medicine in action – is at an early stage, but the data we collected has revealed two weaknesses in CML and a potential drug approach to eradicating these key stem cells. We also could not have achieved such an excellent result without all the generous stem cell donations from both CML patients and other members of the public, so it is important to say thank you to them.’

These exciting results have potential implications for other cancers including Acute Myeloid Leukaemia and brain tumours. The team are now keen to build on their work by beginning trials in patients with drug-resistant CML.

Help us take the next step Leaving a gift in your will ensures that your hopes and wishes for research into leukaemia will live on after you are gone.

Our Development Officer for Legacies, Mrs Barrie Bryson, would be delighted to talk to you in confidence.

Whatever the size of your donation you can be certain that your gift will have an impact on leukaemia research at the University of Glasgow.

Support our vital research

• Contact: Mrs Barrie Bryson T: +44 (0)141 330 6886 E: barrie.bryson@glasgow.ac.uk.

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What’s on?

• Friends of POG Volunteer Committee Meeting • Thursday, 22 September, 4pm - 5pm • Paul O’Gorman LRC 21 Shelley Road, Glasgow G12 0ZD • Interested in fundraising for POG and helping with events? All welcome.

• POG Open Evening • Wednesday, 28 September, 6pm - 7:30pm • Paul O’Gorman LRC 21 Shelley Road, Glasgow G12 0ZD • Tour the labs and learn how your donations help our research.

• E: susanne.hill@glasgow.ac.uk • T: 0141 330 5092 • Munro Challenge • Friday, 23 - Monday 26 September • E: susanne.hill@glasgow.ac.uk • T: 0141 330 5092 • Great Scottish Run, Glasgow • Saturday 1 - Sunday 2, October • W: greatscottishrun.com

A fantastic fundraiser Alex McKenzie, pictured above with his wife, Nan, and grandchildren Codie and MacKenzie, has been fundraising for POG-LRC for 14 years.

Before he began, Alex was already an active fundraiser for MS charities. In 2002, after being diagnosed with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukaemia (CLL) Alex decided to begin fundraising to ‘give something back’ to the researchers and clinicians who had helped him.

Alex holds an annual cabaret night in Raploch Bowling Club in Larkhall, which provides the venue free of charge. Nan, helps to organise the event, and over the years, family, friends and the local community have raised over £18,000.

Alex’s family have also taken part in their own fundraising events. His daughter, Nicola McHolm, and her team, ‘The West Highland Way Warriors’, recently completed the 96 mile walk, raising £5,640 for POG-LRC and the Beatson Cancer Charity.

Alex said: ‘I hope my fundraising helps to further research taking place in the laboratories to increase the chances of finding cures and to develop better treatments for all types of leukaemia’.

Alex continues to receive treatment and says: ‘There have been rough times, but you just have to keep the faith’. He describes the care he has received over the years as ‘fantastic’.

Looking for a challenge?

If you enjoy a challenge, now is the time to sign up for one of our most popular events: The Munro Challenge.

This year, the event will take place over the weekend of 23 - 26 September. We encourage groups of walkers to climb one (or more) of Scotland’s 282 Munros.

It’s a great way of keeping fit and having fun with your friends. Last year around 140 people took part and the event raised over £11,000!

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As an extra incentive, there is a prize for the best photograph taken from your climb. So gather your friends, family and colleagues, choose your Munro and join us for a great weekend enjoying Scotland’s beautiful scenery and raising funds for vital leukaemia research.

To take part

• Contact: Susanne Hill T: +44 (0)141 330 5302 E: susanne.hill@glasgow.ac.uk.

• Race Night with Games & Raffles • Friday, 28 October, 7pm - 11pm • The Station, 2 Station Road, Bearsden, Glasgow G61 4AN • POG Fair • Sunday, 6 November, 10am - 6pm • Waitrose Community Room, Waitrose, Glasgow Road, Milngavie G62 6JP • POG Craft Fair • Saturday, 12 November, 1.30pm - 4.00pm • Bearsden Cross Church Hall, 59 Drymen Road, Bearsden, G61 2SU • Craft Fair • Sunday, 27 November, 2pm - 5pm • Hillhead Rugby Club, 32 Hughenden Road, Glasgow G12 9XP

Please get in touch!

Catherine McGrory Development Officer Development & Alumni Office 3 The Square University of Glasgow Glasgow G12 8QQ T: +44 (0)141 330 8007 E: catherine.mcgrory@glasgow.ac.uk POGLRC @POG_LRC © University of Glasgow 2016 The University of Glasgow, charity no. SC004401 The University of Glasgow Trust, charity no. SC008303.

Make a donation Regular gifts help the scientists at POG-LRC to develop their research further.

You can make donations by visiting

www.glasgow.ac.uk/supportpog