We’re celebrating a decade of funding specialist research into finding more effective treatments for blood cancer – the fifth most common cancer in the UK.
LMRUK was founded in 2015, and at the same time, our charity launched a cord blood banking service, the Model Cell Biobank, which helps families to safely procure and store their babies umbilical cord blood stem cells. The unique properties of the stem cells mean they can be lifesavers for the child, or a close family member, should they be needed in the future to treat disease or illnesses, such as blood cancer.
The Model Cell Biobank has supported families across the country, with funding options in place to help those who may not usually be able to afford the bespoke service.
The first ten years has been a huge success thanks to the support of our incredible fundraisers, and the skill and commitment of the research teams who have received vital funding to carry out their dedicated work.
Since our inception, we have helped fund multiple research projects which are exploring better treatments for blood cancer patients, such as stem cell therapies, to ultimately find a cure and help protect the next generation from this disease. Blood cancer currently affects over 240,000 people in the UK each year.
The research projects that have received funding include a £40,000 grant to Professor Cristina Lo Celso and Dr Germaine Chia of Imperial College London. They are examining why some patients treated with chemotherapy for blood cancers continue to suffer very low blood counts, even after the disease has been successfully treated.
A further £35,000 was awarded to two projects exploring better treatments for Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML) – a cancer of white blood cells that grow in the bone marrow. The grants were made to Dr Neil Rodrigues, the principal investigator, and Professor Alex Tonks, co-investigator, at the European Cancer Stem Cell Research Institute at Cardiff University.
Another grant of £22,500 was made to Dr Concetta Bubici, senior lecturer in the College of Health, Medicine and Life Sciences at the Brunel University of London, to continue her work investigating treatment for Myeloma by starving the disease of nutrients, specifically sugar and fat.
The research grant funding wouldn’t be possible without the support from fundraisers and additional grants. An average of 33% of our funding comes from individual donations and fundraising events, highlighting the reliance on the generosity of supporters.
From running marathons to taking on skydives, our fundraisers are bursting with innovative ideas to raise money for our charity and helping to raise awareness of this form of cancer. Many of them have direct experiences with this disease, either as a patient themselves or through a loved one.
Last year, 2024, we launched a clothing and textile recycling initiative – Donate Clothes 4 Sammy – to help reduce the amount of clothing sent to landfill and raise money to support local schools, as well as the charity itself. Over 10,000kg of items were collected and sold via our online shop and eBay store, with all proceeds going back into the charity to support our work.
We have also worked with groups who provide valuable support and safe spaces for patients and their families to share their experiences. Among them is the West Lancs & Merseyside Myeloma Support Group whose brave and inspiring members have shared their stories with us to raise awareness and help others who are going through a similar experience.
Dr Joanna Tilley, Operations Director of LMRUK said: “We are so proud of all we have been able to achieve in our first ten years, but there is so much more we want to do. From working with mothers and newborn babies, collecting and storing stem cells, to supporting with financing experts in the field on ground-breaking research projects into blood cancers, all our efforts are focusing on treatments and cures for these devastating diseases.
“We could not be more grateful to those we have worked with, including the blood cancer patients, their families and fundraisers as well as the research teams and medical experts. Fighting Leukaemia and Myeloma is a team effort, and we are looking forward to continuing to play our part at LMRUK for many more years to come.”
Thank you!
