Research

The research interest of 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
• Use of agents that will make tumour cells more susceptible to immune cell mediated killing, without impacting on the host immune system

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

Assessment of Tumor Lysis Syndrome in Patients with Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Treated with Venetoclax in the Clinical Trial and Post-Marketing Settings Seymour JF, Gribben JG, Davids MS et al. Blood (2020) 136(10) 37-38

Multiplatform Profiling Characterizes Functional Networks in Genomically Stable and Instable Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Bloehdorn J, Braun A, Jebaraj BMC et al. Blood (2020) 136(10) 12-13

Access to Affordable Orphan Medicines in Europe: An EHA Position Paper. Merlini G, Gribben J, Macintyre E et al. Hemasphere (2020) 4(2) e477
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33134862

Association of Low Tumor Endothelial Cell pY397-Focal Adhesion Kinase Expression With Survival in Patients With Neoadjuvant-Treated Locally Advanced Breast Cancer Roy-Luzarraga M, Abdel-Fatah T, Reynolds LE et al. JAMA network open (2020) 3(7) e2019304

Fair Pricing of Innovative Medicines: An EHA Position Paper. Hagenbeek A, Gribben J, Jäger U et al. Hemasphere (2020) 4(2) e488
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/33134863

Personalized Treatment for Hematologic Diseases in Europe: An EHA Position Paper. Jäger U, Kapitein P, Gribben J Hemasphere (2020) 4(2) e474
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32984771

Subgroup analyses of patients aged >= 70 years in AUGMENT: Phase III randomized study of Lenalidomide plus rituximab (R-2) vs rituximab plus placebo (R-placebo) in patients with Relapsed/Refractory (R/R) indolent Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (iNHL) La Rosee P, Graeven U, Leonard JP et al. ONCOLOGY RESEARCH AND TREATMENT (2020) 43(11) 68-68
http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000575955000169&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)

Reducing the diversity of allogeneic transplant protocols in the UK through a BSBMT Anthony Nolan Protocol Harmonization Initiative Anthias C, Apperley J, Bloor A et al. Bone Marrow Transplantation (2020) 55(7) 1840-1843

Cancer Burden Is Controlled by Mural Cell-β3-Integrin Regulated Crosstalk with Tumor Cells Wong PP, Muñoz-Félix JM, Hijazi M et al. Cell (2020) 181(7) 1346-1363.e21

Team

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.