A team of researchers led by an Aberdeen academic is exploring targeted antibody therapy as a cure to an aggressive form of blood cancer.

An innovative ‘magic bullet’ technique that has been used in other types of cancer has been studied for the first time in treatment of acute myeloid leukaemia (AML), prompting hopes it could be used as a treatment within five years.

Around 3,000 people in the UK are diagnosed each year with the aggressive form of blood cancer, and current curative treatment is intensive, arduous and requires long hospital stays.

Study lead Dr Huan Cao, Research Fellow at the University of Aberdeen said:

“Acute myeloid leukaemia is a big killer especially for the elderly population. The “magic bullet” treatment can be very effective with minimal side effects which means it could be hugely beneficial to an already vulnerable population.” 

Funded by the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC), Dr Cao designed and carried out the research alongside colleagues at Cambridge University.

Dr Cao said: “We found that in acute myeloid leukaemia, Siglec-15 is highly expressed compared to healthy cells and set out to find a way to use this over-expression to our advantage. By identifying a molecule that binds to Siglec-15, we unlock the potential to attach a toxin to it which can then be carried into the cell and ultimately destroy it.

“In this way then it is possible that anti-Siglec-15 might be used as a “magic bullet” to treat AML cells by introducing toxins into the diseased cells.

“Although still in the experimental phase, if all goes well – there is potential that this may be used clinically as a treatment for patients within the next three to five years.” 

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