News Archive

Battling Luekemaia and Depression at UCC

8 Nov 2012

Winners of this year’s BioSciences Researcher of the Year Award at University College Cork are Dr John Woolley, Postdoctoral Researcher, Biochemistry and Fionn O’Brien, PhD student in Pharmacy at the Alimentary Pharmabiotic Centre (Pictured). Both winners presented results of their current life science research projects being carried out at the BioSciences Institute in UCC. The recipients of the Award were selected on a competitive basis and the event held on 5th November last was sponsored by Roche Diagnostics Ltd whose longstanding support of this award promotes the development of excellence in scientific researchers such as these.

Dr John Woolley’s research, in the Tumour Biology laboratory of Professor Tom Cotter Biochemistry, has revealed a new mechanism to explain how aggressive leukemia cells avoid death and survive in the body. This potentially offers a novel target for future therapeutic strategies. The research demonstrates how a critical oncogene or cancer-causing gene (FLT3) in Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) drives tumour cell survival by generating reactive oxygen molecules. These reactive molecules provide a crucial link from the oncogene to survival proteins in the leukemia cells, allowing them to multiply in an uncontrolled and aggressive manner. This research project forms part of a larger ongoing study into deciphering the underlying mechanisms that cause cancer by Prof. Cotter’s research group. Dr Woolley was awarded with a Roche medal on his achievement of winning the Researcher of the Year competition.

Fionn O’Brien’s research, carried out under the supervision of Professor John F. Cryan (Department of Anatomy & Neuroscience) and Dr Brendan Griffin (School of Pharmacy), has focused on the ability of antidepressant drugs to reach their site of action in the brain. Recent investigations have demonstrated that the drug efflux pump P-glycoprotein limits the levels of some antidepressants in the brain, thereby potentially explaining why some patients may not respond to treatment with these antidepressant drugs. This finding could lead to more effective strategies in the battle to overcome depression.

School of Pharmacy

Cógaisíocht

Cavanagh Pharmacy Building Room UG06 University College Cork

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