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UK Research and Innovation provides additional funds for whole genome sequencing as part of the OxPLoreD programme of research into high-risk conditions for blood cancer

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OxPLoreD is an observational cohort study sponsored by Johnson and Johnson that will recruit 1650 patients from across the UK with pre-cancerous lymphoproliferative disorders. These conditions include monoclonal B-cell lymphocytosis and monoclonal gammopathy of unknown significance that put individuals at higher risk of developing the blood cancers chronic lymphocytic leukaemia and multiple myeloma respectively.

The aim of the study is to look for new ways to find and treat blood cancer sooner by identifying clinical, genomic and immunological predictive markers of progression from these pre-cancerous conditions to malignant disease. The study will also explore the possibility of a future early intervention trial for the subgroup of patients at highest risk of progression.

OxPLoreD is one of the seven clinical trials that have received an £8m funding boost from UK Research and Innovation (UKRI) and will work in partnership with Genomics England. The funding will speed up the adoption of whole genome sequencing in the study of cancer. Genetic analysis is a critical tool that can allow clinicians to select the most appropriate treatments for each patient. In the OxPLoreD study, genetic analysis might be able to identify individuals at highest risk of disease progression that would benefit from earlier treatment. In the longer term this may also enable the identification of those people who would benefit from certain types of treatment.

 

 

Research tells us that one-in-two people in the UK population will get cancer. That stark statistic shows just how important it is for us to seek new treatments. The use of genetic analysis opens new possibilities in our drive to beat cancer. The projects for which we have announced funding today are exciting pointers to future diagnosis and precision treatments
- Alison Cave, UKRI challenge director

 

The funding has been delivered through UKRI's Industrial Strategy Challenge Fund's £210m data to early diagnosis and precision medicine (DEDPM) programme. The challenge aims to combine research data and evidence from the NHS to create new and improved ways of identifying disease and treatment pathways.

 

The 100,000 Genomes Project, Genomics England has analysed the genomes of over 17,000 cancer participants and this suggests that up to half have revealed mutations of potential clinical significance. The DEDPM programme is a major opportunity to expand the application of whole genome sequencing into clinical trials involving cancer where support from the ISCF is likely to deliver significant clinical benefit
- Prof. Sir Mark Caulfield, Chief Scientist at Genomics England

For more information about the other trials funded by this scheme, see the UK Research and Innovation announcement.