Genetics and development of paediatric cancers

The NHS paediatric haematology and oncology team is active in clinical research trials.  From a laboratory research perspective, Dr Matthew Murray’s translational programme involves the study of genetic changes in solid tumours of childhood, with a particular focus on germ cell tumours (both extracranial and intracranial). He has identified that the same genetic changes seen in germ cell tumours may also be found in patient bloodstream at the time of diagnosis, offering the potential to improve the accuracy of diagnosis, disease-monitoring and follow-up. Dr Suzanne Turner (Department of Pathology) investigates the pathogenesis of paediatric cancers, specifically Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (NHL) and neuroblastoma She is co-chair of the paediatric programme of the CRUK Cambridge Cancer Centre. Professor Richard Gilbertson (Chair, Department of Oncology) directs the CRUK Cambridge Cancer Centre and investigates origins and treatment of paediatric brain tumours.  His lab has used next generation sequencing of patient samples to define some of the key driver mutations of paediatric brain tumours and mouse models to pin point the cells in the nervous system that give birth to these tumours.