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
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
Mesenchymal niche remodeling impairs hematopoiesis via stanniocalcin 1 in acute myeloid leukemia Waclawiczek A, Hamilton A, Rouault-Pierre K et al. Journal of Clinical Investigation (2020) 130(7) 3038-3050
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
Bone marrow niches in haematological malignancies Méndez-Ferrer S, Bonnet D, Steensma DP et al. Nature Reviews Cancer (2020) 20(7) 285-298
Do we need to analyse everything at diagnosis in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia? Gribben JG British Journal of Haematology (2020) 189(7) 603-604
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 (2020) 105(7) 1379-1390
Repression of sphingosine kinase (SK)-interacting protein (SKIP) in acute myeloid leukemia diminishes SK activity and its re-expression restores SK function. Ghazaly EA, Miraki-Moud F, Smith P et al. J Biol Chem (2020) 295(2) 5496-5508
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32161116
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 (2020) 105(2) e164-e168
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31413095
Antibody immunotherapy treatment for adults with B-acute lymphoblastic leukaemia-a real-world analysis Dexter T, Aries J, Sevillano B et al. BRITISH JOURNAL OF HAEMATOLOGY (2020) 189(11) 186-186
http://gateway.webofknowledge.com/gateway/Gateway.cgi?GWVersion=2&SrcApp=PARTNER_APP&SrcAuth=LinksAMR&KeyUT=WOS:000528597400262&DestLinkType=FullRecord&DestApp=ALL_WOS&UsrCustomerID=612ae0d773dcbdba3046f6df545e9f6a
Graft-versus-host disease: a case report of a rare but reversible cause of constrictive pericarditis. Pieri CA, Roberts N, Gribben J et al. Eur Heart J Case Rep (2020) 4(2) 1-5
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/32352060
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.