My major research interest is investigating the alterations in metabolism that accompany B-cell activation and how this is reflected in the metabolism of low- and high-grade lymphomas including chronic lymphocytic leukaemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma, diffuse large B cell lymphoma and Burkitt lymphoma. Our aim is that an enhanced understanding of the metabolism of normal and malignant B cells will underpin the development of the next generation of anti-metabolic drugs for these diseases. In addition, I am the course director for the MSc Cancer & Clinical Oncology Programme.
Outcomes of patients with hematologic malignancies and COVID-19: A systematic review and meta-analysis of 3377 patients. Blood (2020) blood.2020008824. Online ahead of print. PMID: 33113551
Clinical outcome of coronavirus disease 2019 in haemato-oncology patients. Br J Haematol (2020) 190(2):e64-e67. PMID: 32420609
Mechanisms of PD-L1/PD-1 mediated CD8 T-cell defects in the context of aging-related immune defects in the Eµ-TCL1 CLL mouse model. Blood (2015) 9;126(2):212-21. PMID: 25979947
Trisomy 12 Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia cells exhibit up-regulation of integrin signaling that is modulated by NOTCH1 mutations. Blood (2014) 123(26):4101-10. PMID: 24829201
T cells from CLL patients exhibit features of T-cell exhaustion but retain capacity for cytokine production. Blood (2013) 121(9):1612-21. PMID: 23247726
My major research interest is investigating the alterations in metabolism that accompany B-cell activation and how this is reflected in the metabolism of low- and high grade lymphomas including chronic lymphocytic leukaemia/small lymphocytic lymphoma, diffuse large B cell lymphoma and Burkitt lymphoma. We use a variety of proteomic and metabolomic techniques to study these questions in primary patient samples, B-cell lines and murine conditional knockout and transgenic lymphoma models. We are particularly interested in the impact of genetic aberrations of MYC and p53 on the metabolism of lymphoma cells and how this relates to high grade transformation of CLL (Richter syndrome). Our overall aim is that an enhanced understanding of the metabolism of normal and malignant B cells will underpin the development of the next generation of anti-metabolic drugs for these cancers and may also be of benefit in the treatment of non-malignant autoimmune conditions. In addition I am involved in teaching undergraduate and MSc students and am the course director for the MSc Cancer & Clinical Oncology Programme.
I combine my laboratory and translational research programme with clinical practice with the Cancer Centre at Barts Health, with specific emphasis on the treatment of lymphoid malignancies including CLL and lymphoma. In addition to my research in metabolism, I have a particular interest in the role of targeted therapies, immunotherapy and bone marrow transplantation in the treatment of these diseases.
External collaborators
Karen Vousden, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
Dinis Calado, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
James MacRae, The Francis Crick Institute, London, UK
Louisa James, The Blizzard Institute, QMUL, London, UK
Thomas Kipps, Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, USA
Laura Rassenti, Moores Cancer Center, University of California, San Diego, USA
Outcomes of patients with hematologic malignancies and COVID-19: A systematic review and meta-analysis of 3377 patients. Vijenthira A, Gong IY, Fox TA et al. Blood (2020) (2)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33113551
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
B-Cell Receptor Signaling Drives Glycolysis in Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Cells Clear AJ, D'Avola A, Agrawal SG et al. Blood (2018) 132(10) 3121-3121
Mechanistic and clinical aspects of lenalidomide treatment for chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Riches JC, Gribben JG Current Cancer Drug Targets (2016) 16(1)
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/27055579
Mechanisms of PD-L1/PD-1 mediated CD8 T-cell dysfunction in the context of aging-related immune defects in the Eμ-TCL1 CLL mouse model McClanahan F, Riches JC, Miller S et al. Blood (2015) 126(7) 212-221
PD-1/PD-L1 mediated T-cell dysfunction in CLL is not absolute and can be at least partially reversed in vivo by the immune-modulatory drug lenalidomide McClanahan F, Riches JC, Miller S et al. ONCOLOGY RESEARCH AND TREATMENT (2014) 37(11) 236-236
http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000343816900576&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=612ae0d773dcbdba3046f6df545e9f6a
Immunomodulation and immune reconstitution in chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Riches JC, Gribben JG Semin Hematol (2014) 51(2) 228-234
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25048786
Trisomy 12 chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells exhibit upregulation of integrin signaling that is modulated by NOTCH1 mutations Riches JC, O'Donovan CJ, Kingdon SJ et al. BLOOD (2014) 123(11) 4101-4110
http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000342618100014&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=612ae0d773dcbdba3046f6df545e9f6a
Trisomy 12 chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells exhibit upregulation of integrin signaling that is modulated by NOTCH1 mutations. Riches JC, O'Donovan CJ, Kingdon SJ et al. Blood (2014) 123(2) 4101-4110
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24829201
Hanging tough: CMV-specific CD8+ T cells in CLL. Riches JC, Gribben JG Blood (2014) 123(2) 608-609
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24482498
Postdoctoral Researchers
Dr Katarina Kluckova, Dr Annalisa D’Avola (based at the Francis Crick Institute)
Postdoctoral Clinical Research Fellows
Lotte Stiekema
PhD Students
Nicola Joseph
I undertook my undergraduate degree in medical sciences at the University of Cambridge before qualifying from Oxford University Medical School in 2003. I subsequently trained in haematology on the Imperial College training rotation based at Hammersmith hospital.
I developed my research interest during my CRUK Clinical Research Fellowship with Professor Gribben at Barts Cancer Institute where I studied the defects underlying impaired T-cell immunity in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) focusing on the impact of lenalidomide, being awarded a PhD in 2013. I stayed in this laboratory for a period of post-doctoral work investigating the expression and function of integrins on CLL cells. I was awarded the Hamblin prize by the UK CLL forum in 2015 for my work documenting the particular differences associated with the presence of trisomy 12.
In 2016, I joined the Centre for Haemato-Oncology in the Barts Cancer Institute as a Clinical Senior Lecturer funded initially as an Intermediate Clinical Fellow by the Wellcome Trust. I have been working at the Francis Crick Institute to investigate the metabolism of normal and malignant B cells in collaboration with Professor Karen Vousden and Dinis Calado.
2018: Fellowship of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA)
2015: Fellowship of the Royal College of Pathologists (FRCPath)
2013: PhD, Queen Mary University of London
2006: Membership of the Royal College of Physicians (MRCP)
2003: MB BCh, University of Oxford
2000: MA Medical Sciences, University of Cambridge