In 2005, the H R Trust funded a three-year project led by Hans Acha-Orbea, aimed at identifying genes that are switched on when normal dendritic cells, which are closely related to Langerhans Cells, become tumours. The study took place at the University of Lausanne, Switzerland.
Dr Acha-Orbea and his team used a gene from a virus known to be able to cause tumours, which they put into dendritic cells. They then looked to see which genes were switched on in the dendritic as they gradually became tumours. They identified several genes, which are involved in the survival or death of cells when the cells are threatened by infection.
They are now going on to see if these genes are also found in Langerhans cell histiocytosis tissue samples from patients. If the genes are found in the patients, it will open the way to developing new treatments to block their function.