Research

Our group is interested in the mechanisms of tumour clearance in response to targeted therapy with monoclonal antibodies. In particular, we aim to increase our understanding of the molecular pathways leading to non-apoptotic forms of cell death after ligation of surface antigens in lymphoma and leukaemia cells.

At the systemic level, we are interested in how targeted therapy modulates the tumour niche via secretory and metabolic changes and what impact modulation of the stroma has on tumour growth and clearance.

From an applied cancer therapy perspective, we are interested in establishing the biological basis of synergy between various forms of targeted therapy and conventional radio- and chemotherapy.

Other Activities

• Director of Postgraduate Taught Programmes
• Member of Queen Mary University of London Senate, 2015 – 2019
• Medical Education Committee. Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry.
• Departmental teaching lead – Centre for Haemato-Oncology. Barts Cancer Institute.
• Module lead – Introduction to Cancer Therapies. MBBS (Medicine) SSC2. Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary University of London, UK.
• Module lead – Targeted Therapies and Immunotherapy of Haematological Malignancies. MSc Molecular Pathology and Genomics. Queen Mary University of London, UK.
• Module co-lead – Cancer Biology. MSc Cancer Therapeutics. Queen Mary University of London, UK.
• OSCE2, OSCE 3, OSCE4 and OSCE5 (finals) examiner – Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry.
• A100 MBBS entry interviewer. Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry.
• Undergraduate Mentor: MBBS Years 1 and 2. Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry.
• Exam board: MSc Cancer Therapeutics and MSc Molecular Pathology and Genomics.
• MBBS Phase 1 committee: Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry.

Major Funding

• 2019-2022- Bloodwise, Lamin B1-mediated genomic instability in leukaemia and lymphoma, £229,104
• Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE)
• Kay Kendall Leukaemia Fund
• Barry Reed Cancer Trust
• “Bolashak” fellowship programme, Republic of Kazakhstan

Recent Publications

Lamin B1 regulates somatic mutations and progression of B-cell malignancies. Klymenko T, Bloehdorn J, Bahlo J et al. Leukemia 32(1) 364-375
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/28804121

NUCLEAR LAMINA REGULATES SOMATIC HYPERMUTATION AND PROGRESSION OF B CELL MALIGNANCIES Klymenko T, Bloehdorn J, Bahlo J et al. HAEMATOLOGICA (2017) 102(11) 228-228
http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000404127002077&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=612ae0d773dcbdba3046f6df545e9f6a

ONCOGENE-EXPRESSING SENESCENT MELANOCYTES UPREGULATE MHC CLASS II, A CANDIDATE MELANOMA SUPPRESSOR FUNCTION BRAUNS A Journal of Investigative Dermatology (1)

Mammalian autophagy degrades nuclear constituents in response to tumorigenic stress. Dou Z, Ivanov A, Adams PD et al. Autophagy (2016) 12(1) 1416-1417
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26654219

EXPLOITING OXIDATIVE PHOSPHORYLATION TO IMPROVE ANTIBODY THERAPY OF LYMPHOMA Vilventhraraja E, Gribben J, Ivanov A HAEMATOLOGICA (2016) 101(11) 574-575
http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000379484602177&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=612ae0d773dcbdba3046f6df545e9f6a

Autophagy mediates degradation of nuclear lamina Dou Z, Xu C, Donahue G et al. Nature (2015) 527(7) 105-109

HIRA orchestrates a dynamic chromatin landscape in senescence and is required for suppression of Neoplasia Rai TS, Cole JJ, Nelson DM et al. Genes and Development (2014) 28(7) 2712-2725

Lysosome-mediated processing of chromatin in senescence. Ivanov A, Pawlikowski J, Manoharan I et al. J Cell Biol (2013) 202(2) 129-143
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23816621

DNA damage causes TP53-dependent coupling of self-renewal and senescence pathways in embryonal carcinoma cells Jackson TR, Salmina K, Huna A et al. CELL CYCLE (2013) 12(11) 430-441
http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000314607100014&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=612ae0d773dcbdba3046f6df545e9f6a

Antibody-induced nonapoptotic cell death in human lymphoma and leukemia cells is mediated through a novel reactive oxygen species-dependent pathway. Honeychurch J, Alduaij W, Azizyan M et al. Blood (2012) 119(2) 3523-3533
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/22354003

Team

Postdoctoral Researchers
Dr Marta Crespi-Sallan

Biography

• Sept 2013 – present Lecturer, Centre for Haemato-Oncology. Barts Cancer Institute. Queen Mary, University of London.
• Apr 2009 – Sept 2013. Postdoctoral Research Associate. Beatson Institute for Cancer Research. University of Glasgow, Glasgow. UK.
• Jun 2004 – Sept 2008. Cancer Research UK PhD studentship. Paterson Institute for Cancer Research. University of Manchester.
• Nov 2002 – Jun 2004. Visiting Research Fellow. Cancer Sciences Division, University of Southampton, Southampton. UK