Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

The Love Hearts Appeal is raising money to fund a pioneering research team at Great Ormond Street Hospital and Kings College London. 

The team, led by Dr. Burch (Catherine’s transplant doctor) and Professor Lombardi, aim to study an innovative therapy for children requiring heart transplantation. 

This therapy has been recently evaluated in patient’s requiring liver and kidney transplants, with extremely encouraging outcomes. As a result, we believe this project is worthy of your generous support!

Background

The study will focus on regulatory T-cells (T-reg) which are secreted from the thymus gland in childhood. These cells are important regulators of the immune system, particularly in childhood. 

Unfortunately, the thymus gland’s close proximity to the heart means it must be removed alongside the diseased organ at the time of surgery. As a result, the child’s immune response is compromised which predisposes them to organ rejection. 

The conventional immune-suppressive therapy currently used to minimise the risk of organ rejection is associated with significant side-effects, which are often poorly tolerated. If shown to be safe and well tolerated, this therapy would lead to a new modality of treatment for these patients, which has less side-effects than conventional immune-suppressive therapy.

How does the therapy work? 

T-reg cells will be extracted from the thymus gland when removed from the body. These cells will be harvested in laboratory conditions and, once multiplied sufficiently in number, returned to the child’s bloodstream. By restoring the balance of the child’s immune system, this therapy has the potential to drastically reduce the risk of organ rejection. 

How will your money help?

In order to undertake this ambitious project, Dr. Burch and Professor Lombardi require the support of a full-time research doctor and nurse over a 3-year period. 

The Love Hearts Appeal aims to provide the funding for required for these researchers. We hope you will be able to help us achieve this aim, and thank you for considering this plea for help.

So, I  am taking part in the challenging 100 mile cycle  from London into the Surrey countryside, up some pretty steep hills and back again in a day, and then a month later, will cycle from the west coast of England up some even bigger hills and finish on the east coast of England  - a challenging 150 mile hilly weekend ride!

Well, i am certainly going to try!