Professor John Gribben
MD DSc FRCP FRCPath FMed Sci
Professor of Medical Oncology
Wellcome Trust Clinical Research Fellow 1987-89, UCL Fogarty International Fellowship 1989-1991 Harvard
Centre Lead, Group Leader
Research Focus
My group focuses on immunological approaches to the treatment of haematological cancers. In particular, we are interested in understanding: The molecular mechanisms whereby cancer cells induce changes in the host immune system; the use of allogeneic stem cell bone marrow transplant to induce a graft versus leukaemia effect; identification of the antigenic targets expressed by cancer cells; and the use of agents that will make tumour cells more susceptible to immune cell mediated killing, without impacting on the host immune system.
Key Publications
Expression of FOXP3, CD68 and CD20 at Diagnosis in the Microenvironment of Classical Hodgkin Lymphoma is Predictive of outcome. J Clin Oncol (2013) 31(2):256-62. PMID: 23045593
E(mu)-TCL1 mice represent a model for immunotherapeutic reversal of chronic lymphocytic leukemia-induced T-cell dysfunction. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA (2009) 106(15):6250-5. PMID: 19332800
Chronic lymphocytic leukemia T cells show impaired immunological synapse formation that can be reversed with an immunomodulating drug. J Clin Invest (2008) 118(7):2427-37. PMID: 18551193
SAGE analysis demonstrates increased expression of TOSO contributing to Fas-mediated resistance in CLL. Blood (2008) 112(2):394-7. PMID: 18434611
Major Funding
- 2016-2019- Wellcome Trust, Understanding the rise of HIV-assoicated Hodgkin Lymphoma despite HAART; the role of immune dysregulation, £243,245
- 2016-2019- Janssen Biotech Inc, Targeting PD-LI/PD-1 mediated inbhibitory signaling with BTK inhibitors, £276,416
- 2014-2019- NCI/NIH Programme Grant – CLL Research Consortium, Understanding the impact of CLL on T cell immune responses, $1,200,000
Other Activities
- European Hematology Association (EHA), President 2019-2021
- President-elect 2017-2109
- EHA Governing Board, 2015-
- International workshop for NHL – Chair 2014-
- MRC Molecular and Cellular Medicine Board (MCMB), 2007-2012
Research
My primary research interests include the immunotherapy of cancer (including stem cell transplantation), the identification of B-cell-tumour antigens; and the detection and treatment of minimal residual disease in leukaemia and lymphoma.
Other Activities
- European Hematology Association (EHA), President 2019-2021
- President-elect 2017-2109
- EHA Governing Board, 2015-
- International workshop for NHL – Chair 2014-
- MRC Molecular and Cellular Medicine Board (MCMB), 2007-2012
Major Funding
- 2017-2022- The London Clinic, Provision of clinical research Fellows in Haematology, £1,106,617.46
- 2016-2019- Janssen Biotech Inc, Targeting PD-LI/PD-1 mediated inbhibitory signaling with BTK inhibitors, £276,416
- 2016-2019- Wellcome Trust, Understanding the rise of HIV-assoicated Hodgkin Lymphoma despite HAART; the role of immune dysregulation, £243,245
- 2015-2018- Barts Charity, Understanding the microenvironment in HIV associated Hodgkin Lymphoma, £283,221
- 2014-2019- NCI/NIH Programme Grant – CLL Research Consortium, Understanding the impact of CLL on T cell immune responses, $1,200,000
Recent Publications
MRD response in relapsed/refractory FL after obinutuzumab plus bendamustine or bendamustine alone in the GADOLIN trial. Pott C, Sehn LH, Belada D et al. Leukemia (2020) 34(2) 522-532
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31462735
IGHV sequencing reveals acquired N-glycosylation sites as a clonal and stable event during follicular lymphoma evolution. Odabashian M, Carlotti E, Araf S et al. Blood (2020) (2)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31932843
Practical management of tumour lysis syndrome in venetoclax-treated patients with chronic lymphocytic leukaemia. Gribben JG Br J Haematol (2019) (2)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31858596
A randomized pilot study to investigate the effect of opioids on immunomarkers using gene expression profiling during surgery. Wodehouse T, Demopoulos M, Petty R et al. Pain (2019) 160(2) 2691-2698
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31433352
Here to Stay: Biosimilars in Hematology. Gribben J, Merlini G, Hagenbeek A Hemasphere (2019) 3(2) e323
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31976492
Phenotypic and transcriptomic characterization of canine myeloid-derived suppressor cells Goulart MR, Hlavaty SI, Chang YM et al. Scientific Reports (2019) 9(7)
Phenotypic characterisation of regulatory T cells in dogs reveals signature transcripts conserved in humans and mice Wu Y, Chang YM, Stell AJ et al. Scientific Reports (2019) 9(7)
Genomic alterations in high-risk chronic lymphocytic leukemia frequently affect cell cycle key regulators and NOTCH1 regulated transcription. Edelmann J, Holzmann K, Tausch E et al. Haematologica (2019) (2)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31467127
A cross-trial comparison of single-agent ibrutinib versus chlorambucil-obinutuzumab in previously untreated patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia or small lymphocytic lymphoma. Tedeschi A, Greil R, Demirkan F et al. Haematologica (2019) (2)
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31413095
Growth dynamics in naturally progressing chronic lymphocytic leukaemia Gruber M, Bozic I, Leshchiner I et al. Nature (2019) 570(7) 474-479
For additional publications, please click hereTeam
Group Leaders in the Centre
Dr Andrejs Braun, Dr Pedro Cutillas, Dr Jeff Davies, Dr Gabriella Ficz, Professor Jude Fitzgibbon, Dr Li Jia, Professor Kamil R. Kranc, Dr Sergey Krysov, Dr Rifca Le Dieu, Dr Kevin Rouault-Pierre, Dr John Riches, Dr Bela Wrench
Clinical Research Fellows
Dr Jennifer Edelmann, Dr Robin Sanderson, Dr Joseph Taylor, Dr Edward Truelove
Biography
I hold the Gordon Hamilton Fairley Chair of Medical Oncology at St. Bartholomew's Hospital, Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary, University of London. My doctoral studies were performed at University College London as the recipient of a Wellcome Trust Fellowship Award. I continued post-doctoral training with Professor Lee Nadler at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Harvard Medical School.
In 1992, I was appointed to the Faculty at Harvard Medical School, where I remained as Associate Professor of Medicine and an Attending Physician at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and Brigham and Women's Hospital, until returning to London in 2005. I am a founding member of the CLL Research Consortium, Associate Editor of Blood and was elected a Fellow of the Academy of Medical Science.