Cypriot researcher one of the lead authors of new study

Scientists have discovered a potential new way to treat one of the most aggressive blood cancers, offering hope to thousands of patients.

A study from the University of Cambridge, published in the journal Nature Biotechnology, has found that a common protein behaves unexpectedly in leukaemia cells, a discovery that could lead to more effective treatments for Acute Myeloid Leukaemia (AML).

This collaborative study was co-first authored by Dr Benson George, of the Flynn Lab and Dr Maria Eleftheriou of the Tzelepis lab.

AML is the second most common type of leukaemia, affecting around 3,100 people in the UK each year. It progresses rapidly, and current treatments, including chemotherapy and stem cell transplants, are often harsh and ineffective long term. Nearly 80 per cent of patients die within five years of diagnosis.

Researchers found that a protein called Nucleophosmin (NPM1), which was previously thought to exist only inside cells, also appears on the surface of AML cancer cells. This unexpected finding means doctors could use immunotherapy, a treatment that trains the body’s immune system to attack cancer, to target AML more precisely.

The team, led by George and Eleftheriou, developed a special antibody that locks onto NPM1. In lab tests, it successfully killed AML cells, extended survival in mice, restored healthy blood production and caused no long-term side effects.

Most importantly, NPM1 was also found on leukaemia stem cells, which cause the disease to return after treatment. Targeting these cells could stop AML from coming back, a major challenge with current therapies.

If further trials confirm these results, NPM1-targeted treatments could improve survival rates for AML patients, reduce side effects compared to chemotherapy and potentially help other cancers, like prostate and bowel cancer.

“Current treatments for AML often come with severe side effects and don’t always provide a lasting solution,” Eleftheriou said. “This exciting discovery is at an early stage but has the potential to improve survival rates and quality of life for AML patients. As well as offering hope for developing similar targeted therapies for other cancers in the future.”

Dr Konstantinos Tzelepis, one of the study leaders, said: “This could lead to entirely new treatments for cancers where options are currently limited.”

Fiona Hazell, CEO of Leukaemia UK, called it a “vital breakthrough” that could “transform survival rates for AML patients”.

While the findings are promising, more research is needed before the treatment can be tested in humans. If successful, it could become available within the next decade. For now, the discovery offers new hope in the fight against one of the deadliest blood cancers.