Researchers at the University of Southampton (England) are testing patients along the South Coast in order to gain further understanding of the causes of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL), the commonest form of leukaemia in adults. Blood cancer charity Leukaemia Research has awarded Dr Jonathon Strefford £435,000 to carry out the research at Southampton General Hospital, which will involve testing patients for any abnormalities in their genetic code which may be causing their disease.

To date, little is known about how important a person's genetic make-up is to his or her susceptibility to chronic lymphocytic leukaemia. Dr Strefford aims to find out, as he explained: "I am using state-of-the-art technology that literally provides a million answers to scientific questions in a single experiment. This type of approach investigates the entire genetic code of a patient with CLL and allows minute changes to be identified that may be contributing to the patient's disease."

The new three-year study is designed to have direct benefits for patients with this form of leukaemia. Dr Strefford described his hopes for the research: "Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia develops at different rates in different people, so if we could test for 'clues' in the DNA of patients at diagnosis we would be able to predict how quickly their disease will progress. We can then treat patients specifically based on their genetic make up and we will have a better idea how certain people will react to certain treatments."

Leukaemia Research Scientific Director Dr David Grant said: "This research is very exciting - by identifying genetic 'markers' for this type of leukaemia we will be able to divide patients into different groups and move away from the 'one size fits all' approach to treatment"

John Murrell, a member of the Southampton Fundraising Branch of Leukaemia Research says: "It's very rewarding to be part of the fundraising team here in Southampton, knowing that all our efforts are helping to make exciting projects like this possible. Continual research is steadily improving the prospects of leukaemia patients."

Leukaemia Research currently has nearly six million pounds invested in blood cancer research in Southampton.

-- Over the next five years, Leukaemia Research urgently needs to raise over £100 million to commit to new research. From basic laboratory research to clinical trials with patients, Leukaemia Research is committed to saving lives by funding high quality, carefully selected research throughout the UK.

-- Leukaemia Research is the only national charity devoted exclusively to improving treatments, finding cures and learning how to prevent leukaemia, Hodgkin's lymphoma and other lymphomas, myeloma and the related blood disorders, diagnosed in 24,500 people in the UK every year. Further information, including patient information booklets, is available from www.lrf or call 020 7405 0101.

-- To volunteer or fundraise in the region, contact the Southampton Branch at frank.brighthants

The University of Southampton is a leading UK teaching and research institution with a global reputation for leading-edge research and scholarship. It is one of the country's top institutions for engineering, computer science and medicine, and home to a range of world-leading research centres, including the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton, the Institute of Sound and Vibration Research, the Optoelectronics Research Centre, the Centre for the Developmental Origins of Health and Disease, and the Mountbatten Centre for International Studies.

As one of the UK's top 10 research universities, the University offers first-rate opportunities and facilities for study and research across a wide range of subjects in humanities, health, science and engineering.

www.soton.ac