Scientist receives prestigious North West Cancer Research award
Dr Lekh Dahal, Department of Pharmacology and Therapeutics, won the 'Excellence in Research Award' at the recent North West Cancer Research Awards 2024.
North West Cancer Research (NWCR) is the only independent charity dedicated to tackling cancer across the North West and North Wales. The NWCR awards recognise those who have made significant contributions to the advancement of cancer research in our region.
The ‘Excellence in Research’ prize was awarded to Dr Lekh Dahal for his work on the STING (Stimulator of Interferon Genes) pathway in follicular lymphoma. Follicular lymphoma is the most common type of low-grade non-Hodgkin lymphoma, with about 2,300 new cases diagnosed each year in the UK alone. Although the disease usually responds to initial treatment, therapy resistance is a significant problem. This is partly due to immune dysfunction which influences therapy response, clonal expansion and reactivation of latent viruses such as CMV.
Lekh’s team is focusing on the STING pathway as a potential therapeutic target in follicular lymphoma. STING is a crucial component of the immune response to DNA released from viruses or damaged cells. Understanding how the STING pathway regulates therapy response, clonal expansion and viral reactivation in follicular lymphoma should provide new insight into how the immune microenvironment might be manipulated to improve patient outcomes. The research has been made possible by the availability of a large number of high-quality, clinically annotated follicular lymphoma blood and biopsy samples from the Liverpool-led phase III PACIFICO trial.
Dr Dahal commented: "Our research illustrates the potential for novel approaches in immunotherapy that may one day transform the way follicular lymphoma and other blood cancers are treated. Receiving this award during Blood Cancer Awareness Month emphasises the urgent need for research into and public awareness of diseases like leukaemia, lymphoma, and myeloma, and underscores the relevance of our research in the broader fight against blood cancers."
Professor Andrew Pettitt, Co-Investigator on the project commented: "I am delighted that Dr Dahal and his team have received the recognition they deserve for their pioneering work into the STING pathway in follicular lymphoma, and it is timely that the award was made at the end of blood cancer awareness month. By harnessing the research potential of stored samples from the PACIFICO trial, Dr Lekh’s research has helped to cement Liverpool’s position as a national hub for follicular lymphoma research, while his award from North West Cancer Research further strengthens the argument for including blood cancer in the University’s cancer strategy."
The award was presented during the NWCR Gala Dinner and Awards Ceremony on Saturday 27 September at the Titanic Hotel, Liverpool.