Professor Owen Smith is a NCRC clinical researcher and Consultant Paediatric Haematologist at Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin. This week, as part of an international consortium, he published research which could influence the future treatment of patients with Acute Promyelocytic Leukemia (APL), a rare sub-type of acute myeloid leukaemia (AML)
While current treatments can cure APL, they include intensive chemotherapy using a group of drugs called anthracyclines which are associated with acute and long-term health issues. This is a substantial concern, particularly when dealing with paediatric patients with a long life-expectancy.
This research is significant because it shows that doses of anthracyclines can be reduced, subsequently reducing the risk of associated illness, without compromising the outcome of children with APL.
Professor Owen Patrick Smith is Professor of Paediatric and Adolescent Medicine at University College Dublin, Consultant Paediatric Haematologist at Our Lady’s Children’s Hospital, Crumlin, Dublin and is Chief Academic Lead to the Children’s Hospital Group. Professor Smith also holds the title, Honorary Regius Professor of Physic (1637) in the School of Medicine, Trinity College Dublin and is Honorary Fellow of Trinity College Dublin. Professor Smith is a principal investigator at the National Children’s Research Centre, Crumlin, and Systems Biology Ireland/Conway Institute, University College Dublin. More information on his work can be found at here.