Research

In the lab I focus on the development of novel approaches to improve efficacy and reduce toxicity of allogeneic HSCT and adoptive immunotherapy as treatments for blood cancers and other diseases.

We have a major interest in T-cell alloreactivity in the context of HSCT and immunotherapy. Current funded research projects include examination of the tissue-specific T-cell mediators of gastro-intestinal GvHD, use of new technologies to intergrate immune reconstition signatures after transplantation, epigenetic mechanism resulting in immune escape of cancer cells after transplant and limiting cancer antigen-specific T-cell responses and differential metabolism of alloreactive T cells.

I now combine my laboratory and translational research programme with clinical practice with the Cancer Centre at Barts Health, with specific emphasis on the lymphoma service and development of the allogeneic transplant/immunotherapy programmes and run a portfolio of clinical trials in GvHD. I led a successful bid in 2017 for Barts to be selected for funding as one of 10 UK transplant centres as part of a new IMPACT national HSCT clinical trials network.

Other Activities

• British Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation member
• National Steering Committee Chair HLA-epitope matching and platelet transfusion study
• London Cancer Pathway board for lymphoma 2015

Major Funding

• 2022-2025- Barts Charity Project Grant, 'Exploiting regulatory NK cells to improve allogeneic stem cell transplantation,' £210,212
• 2018-2021- Cancer Research UK, CRUK Clinical Award Training Cycle 4 - 2018, £512,000.00
• 2018-2021- CRUK Clinical Research Fellowship, Exploiting metabolic reprogramming in human allogeneic T cell responses, £230,000
• 2017-2020- CRUK Clinical Research Fellowship, Using autoimmunity as a guide to improve cancer immunotherapy, £230,000
• 2017-2020- William Harvey Research Limited, Identifying Mechanisms of Immune Escape that leads to Relapse of Acute Myeloid Leukaemia after Allogeneic Stem Cell Transplantation, £300,000
• 2011-2015- Medical Research Council, Generation of suppressive donor T cells to specifically control alloresponses after allogeneic stem cell translantation, £1,450,155.00

Recent Publications

2022 update on the clinical outcome of coronavirus disease 2019 in haemato-oncology patients Bradwell S, Hone L, Thorneycroft K et al. Leukemia Research (2022) 119(7)

Reduced intensity allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is a safe and effective treatment option in high-risk myeloma patients – a single centre experience Jurgensen-Rauch A, Gibbs S, Farrell M et al. British Journal of Haematology (2021) 193(7) 420-423

T-cell-based Immunotherapies for Haematological Cancers, Part A: A SWOT Analysis of Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors (ICIs) and Bispecific T-Cell Engagers (BiTEs) Rallis KS, Hillyar CRT, Sideris M et al. Anticancer research (2021) 41(7) 1123-1141

T-cell-based Immunotherapies for Haematological Cancers, Part B: A SWOT Analysis of Adoptive Cell Therapies Rallis KS, Hillyar CRT, Sideris M et al. Anticancer research (2021) 41(7) 1143-1156

Outcomes of allogeneic transplantation with non-myeloablative conditioning in patients with myelodysplastic and overlap syndromes Hilali A, Hibbs S, Davies J et al. BRITISH JOURNAL OF HAEMATOLOGY (2021) 193(11) 227-228
https://www.webofscience.com/api/gateway?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000645412200308&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=612ae0d773dcbdba3046f6df545e9f6a

Retinoic acid-responsive CD8 effector T-cells are selectively increased in IL-23-rich tissue in gastrointestinal GvHD Ball J, Clear A, Aries J et al. Blood (2020) (1)

Clinical Outcome of Coronavirus Disease 2019 in Haemato-oncology Patients. Aries JA, Davies JK, Auer RL et al. British Journal of Haematology (2020) (1)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32420609

Integrated Immune Signature Analyses Identifies Evolution of Distinct Immunoregulatory Cell Populations Which Control Alloreactivity after Allogeneic HSCT Aries J, Charrot S, Ball J et al. Blood (2019) 134(10) 595

Correction: Genomic profiling reveals spatial intra-tumor heterogeneity in follicular lymphoma (Leukemia, (2018), 32, 5, (1261-1265), 10.1038/s41375-018-0043-y) Araf S, Wang J, Korfi K et al. Leukemia (2019) 33(7) 1540

Low treatment related mortality and relapse leading to excellent outcomes after allogeneic transplantation for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia using a non-myeloablative conditioning without T CELL depletion Savoie ML, Davies JK, Cavenagh J et al. BONE MARROW TRANSPLANTATION (2019) 54(11) 144-145
https://www.webofscience.com/api/gateway?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000487707800147&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=612ae0d773dcbdba3046f6df545e9f6a

Team

Biography

I developed my research interest during my MRC Clinical Research Training Fellowship at the Royal Free Hospital, London, where I studied ways to selectively deplete alloreactive donor T cells to reduce GvHD but maintain immune reconstitution after allogeneic HSCT. I was awarded the George Santos Award by the American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation for the best clinical research by a young investigator for this research.

In 2006, I joined the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute/Harvard Medical School as a junior faculty member in Medical Oncology. I performed translational research with Profs Lee Nadler and Eva Guinan using costimulatory blockade to induce allospecific anergy in donor lymphocytes, to reduce GvHD but preserve immune reconstitution and GvL effects after allogeneic HSCT.

During that time I also gained experience in other adoptive immunotherapy approaches to cancer treatment, and I was the recipient of a Career Development Award from the Leukaemia and Lymphoma Society and a New Investigator Award from the American Society for Blood and Marrow Transplantation.

In 2010 I joined the Centre for Haemato-Oncology in the Barts Cancer Institute as a Clinical Senior Lecturer funded initially as a Clinician Scientist by the MRC.

Qualifications

• MA (Oxon) Physiological Sciences First Class 1989
• BM BCh (Hons) (Oxon) 1992
• MRCP (UK) 1996
• MRCPath 2002
• PhD (University of London) 2005
• FRCPath 2008