Anthony Nolan

Today we’re excited to unveil our new look! Our refreshed brand reflects how we’ve broadened our scope – uniting people and science to unlock new lifesaving treatments and ensuring that patients have a better quality of life after transplant. As a result, we’re connecting with more people than ever – including stem cell donors, patients, fundraisers, healthcare professionals and researchers. We’ve also updated our strapline from ‘Saving the lives of people with blood cancer’ to ‘Saving lives through stem cells.’ Why? Because there are so many amazing ways stem cells can help even more patients. We won’t stop until we’ve uncovered the lifesaving potential of the cells inside us all.

“The grant from Anthony Nolan has enabled One Voice Blackburn to create awareness and spread the key messages surrounding stem cell donation." "Because of the funding, we are making a real difference and getting people to think about something they may never have heard of previously. We have managed to change young people’s perspective, and they have subsequently joined the stem cell register.” - Nazia, Health Manager - One Voice Blackburn (supported by the Anthony Nolan Partnership Grants Programme). In our 50th anniversary year, we are proud to introduce a new grants programme, to help fund projects and partners that share our ambition to educate, engage and recruit more young people, especially men and people from minority ethnic backgrounds, to the stem cell register. We know that our partners play a vital role in reaching communities, and our aim is to fund up to 15 projects each year - empowering new partners to deliver impactful, community-based initiatives that will help us achieve our vision of a future where every patient that needs us can survive and thrive. So who can apply? We welcome applications from organisations who work with young people aged between 16-30, young men in particular or people from minority ethnic backgrounds – but there’s no obligation to have experience of raising awareness of the stem cell register. Find out more about our grants programme and how to apply here: https://bit.ly/4hx1cXy

Huge global milestone for our understanding of the HLA genes! The IPD-IMGT/HLA Database has added the 40,000th discovered variant of the HLA genes to its library. This database is the only online tool holding all the genetic sequences for discovered HLA variants, and is used globally by transplant providers and immunogenetics researchers thousands of times every day. Dr James Robinson, who heads Anthony Nolan’s team of bioinformaticians manging the IPD-IMGT/HLA Database, says “It’s fair to say that at some level most transplants in the world are facilitated by the IPD-IMGT/HLA Database.” James wrote the code for the first version of the database from scratch, over 25 years ago, when sequences for only 932 HLA variants were included in the first online release. Together with Professor Steven Marsh, the pair developed the database to become a leading global resource in transplant science, and the database is anticipated to continue to grow as more versions of the HLA genes are discovered. Read more about the IPD-IMGT/HLA Database here: https://bit.ly/4f8p6ab

“When we thought about how to create a legacy for dad, what we wanted was to help better the chances of others in similar situations to Dad and to spread awareness of the stem cell register.” In 2023, Lauren very sadly lost her dad, after complications following a stem cell transplant to treat a benign blood condition that was progressing into leukaemia. There were no matches worldwide for her dad, so Lauren was chosen to be a donor, despite only being a 50% match. “Chances of rejection and other complications were higher, but Dad was determined and wanted to give it a go.” After her dad passed away, Lauren and her family decided to set up a tribute page, to honour their dad, and have a place for family and friends to share memories, whilst also supporting Anthony Nolan. “Adding a gallery of photos of dad to show the many sides to his personality and the option of videos, lighting candles, adding thoughts and contributions was so lovely and made my dad the focus of the page.” The festive period is just one of many times of year where the loss of a loved one can feel even harder. As Lauren says, having a space to reflect on memories and shared experiences can help. “Dad’s tribute page is an outlet for me when I want somewhere to go to look at what people have said about him and to scroll through photos.” “The added support of the Anthony Nolan team keeping in touch around landmark dates and offering support makes me feel understood and that Dad has not been forgotten. Ultimately, Dad’s tribute page forms part of his legacy.” If you’d like to find out more about setting up your own Tribute page for a loved one, head to https://lnkd.in/ewMQn4Bn

“I joined the Anthony Nolan youth panel because I strongly believe the youth voice is important, especially as Anthony Nolan aim to recruit younger people to the stem cell register. I also knew that the skills I’d develop as part of the panel would complement my university studies well, and it even helped me gain full time experience at Anthony Nolan after I graduated.” – Carly, who was part of our youth panel from 2022-2024 Do you know any 16-21 year olds that want to get involved in our lifesaving work? We’re looking for new members to join our Youth Panel, and have their say in what we do. We know that younger donors provide better outcomes for patients, so we want to learn more about this audience – finding opportunities to engage with this audience, create content that resonates with them, and avoid any red flags! Members of our youth panel don’t have to have a personal connection to Anthony Nolan – we’d love to speak to anyone who is open minded, willing to share their thoughts, and offer critical thinking. Youth Panel members will be involved in discussions around our marketing and advertising work, sharing ideas, and attending quarterly meetings virtually. As part of this, members will develop leadership, collaboration and teamwork skills, that could help boost future career opportunities. At the same time, we’ll also give our panel the opportunity to visit Anthony Nolan offices and laboratories, attend events, and work with different teams across the organisation. Find out more: https://bit.ly/4e56GWB

Last night we headed to the Science Museum for a spooktacular event...👻 Dario and Sharon from the Anthony Nolan labs held a talk on the magic of stem cells, and we invited guests to get crafty, and turn their biggest fears into reality - because there are plenty of things much scarier than donating your stem cells! A huge thank you to the team at the Science Museum Group for a frighteningly fun evening!

"Our Policy Insights Panel is very important for our influencing work. Members have helped shape our influencing plans around our cost of living campaign, research influencing and access to new treatments. Former panel member Iggie, pictured here with Lilian Greenwood MP, is a great example of the dedication our members bring to drive meaningful change." - Nele Gewert, Senior Policy and Public Affairs Officer At Anthony Nolan, we want to ensure our influencing priorities are shaped by the people who matter most – our patients. Our Policy Insights Panel is made up of patients, families and carers, and is vital in providing independent feedback that helps guide our work. We are currently inviting new members to join the panel, and we need your support! If you, or someone you know, has an interest in influencing for change, and has experience of stem cell transplantation or CAR-T therapy – whether as a patient, family member or carer - we would love you to apply! As a member, you will collaborate with our Policy & Public Affairs team to provide valuable insight, helping us to improve the stem cell transplant and cell therapy landscape in a way that is both impactful and relevant to patients. Find out further details including a role description, and how to apply here: https://bit.ly/4eVrMbm

"The event was open and informative. What made this event especially engaging were the lovely EDI team who were willing to engage in open discussions about anti-racism both in and out the workplace. This event was overall enlightening and compelling and I'd be keen to continue these discussions or attend any similar events in the future." This week colleagues at both our London and Nottingham offices came together to learn more about influential Black pioneers and participate in discussions on race equality. The team displayed posters highlighting influential Black individuals across various sectors, including science, technology, literature and social justice, created a reading corner with some fantastic book recommendations, and shared some incredible food and snacks that celebrated African and Caribbean cuisine. As we continue working towards our vision of a future where equity is a reality for our patients and our people, engaging with staff members is key to championing diversity and inclusivity. Celebrating different communities encourages people to embracing their own curiosity and collaborate in improving our inclusive culture. “Glad to be part of the conversations at Anthony Nolan discussing some really crucial issues around Black History Month that, whether you realise it or not, do affect us all. Thanks to our EDI team for creating a space where we can be open, introspective and challenged."

This study reveals a fascinating level of detail about what happens to cells in the years and decades after a stem cell transplant. The findings support Anthony Nolan's own research which shows the age of the donor makes a difference, and reinforce the decision to lower the recruitment age of our register to 16 to help make sure more patients in need of an unrelated donor have the best possible transplant. Studies like these are vital to continue to improve transplants and ensure more patients can survive and thrive in future.

🧫 🔬 Reassuring news from scientists looking at mutations in donated stem cells Because donated blood stem cells have to create an entire immune system from scratch, which takes a lot of effort, some scientists expected that this burden could increase the risk of cancerous mutations in these cells after a transplant. However, new research from the US suggests that the risk of mutations like these is unexpectedly low. “Surprisingly, there actually are very few new mutations in the stem cells arising through the transplant process,” says Dr Michael Spencer Chapman, a haematologist who is quoted in a recent article about the research. The research looked at 16 pairs of patients and donors who were many years past their transplant day, and showed that the rate of mutations in blood stem cells is not significantly higher in patients compared to their donors. These are encouraging findings, but they’ll need to be confirmed with larger studies. For now, we know that the risk of developing a secondary cancer from a stem cell transplant is very low, and massively outweighed by their potential lifesaving benefits. Read more about the research here: https://lnkd.in/egqXmXSR