Cancer researcher Lara Graham has a new appreciation of her work on immunotherapy after it dramatically improved her mum's bone marrow cancer.
Lara, who this week completes her PhD at the University of Southampton, was a year into her research when her mum Nicky became very ill and was diagnosed with multiple myeloma.
To mark World Cancer Day on Wednesday 4 February, Lara is sharing her experiences.
Multiple myeloma is a type of blood cancer in the plasma cells in bone marrow. Nicky, who was 58 when she was diagnosed in 2022, became seriously unwell.
Lara, 27, explained: "This type of cancer is notoriously difficult to diagnose, and to begin with we thought mum might have rheumatism. She was extremely tired and in a lot of pain - the cancer was in her bones, so she had tiny fractures everywhere."
Nicky's treatment involved immunotherapy, the very field Lara was studying for her PhD. It was successful and Nicky has been in remission ever since.
"It was fantastic to watch her health improve," said Lara. "It showed me just how powerful immunotherapies can be to treat cancer. And it reinforced why this research matters - because it gives families more time, more hope, and the possibility of remission."
The experience gave Lara, who comes from Andover in Hampshire, extra drive in her research at the university's Centre for Cancer Immunology.
Outlining her work, she said: "I am looking at improving the ability of the immune system to kill cancer cells by using immunotherapies. I am exploring white blood cells called natural killer - or NK - cells. Over time, cancers can acquire ways of shielding themselves from NK cells, leading to tumour growth. My research is on identifying these shields and testing new ways we can overcome them, allowing NK cells to kill cancer cells more effectively and improve the response of patients to therapy."
On completing her PhD, Lara is staying at the University of Southampton as a researcher, looking at immunotherapy for solid cancer tumours.
Lara will be sharing her research, alongside other researchers in the field, at an online lecture on Wednesday 4 February at 6pm. Visit the event page to register to attend.
The University of Southampton has announced plans for a groundbreaking new medical institute in the city, which will bring the greatest minds in medicine, computer science and engineering together in one brand new building - advancing research such as Lara's.
The pioneering Institute for Medical Innovation will be a joint initiative between the University of Southampton and University Hospital Southampton NHS Foundation Trust.
Based at Southampton General Hospital, the £100m facility will bring researchers and medics together in the fight against devastating diseases such as cancer, dementia, sight loss, infectious diseases and respiratory and allergic conditions.
