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School of Medicine

Dr Malcolm Taylor Bsc (Hons), PhD (Wales), MRCPCH, FRCPath

Photograph of Malcolm Taylor

Honorary Reader in Child Health and Cancer Immunogenetics

Cancer Immunogenetics Group
School of Cancer and Enabling Sciences
University of Manchester
Research Floor
Room L5.CT.387
St Mary's Hospital
Manchester M13 9WL, UK

 

Role

I run the Cancer Immunogenetics Group in the School of Cancer and Enabling Sciences. This is based on the Research Floor of the new St Marys Hospital in the Central Manchester Foundation Trust. Our group focuses on the role of host immune responses in the causation, therapy and prevention of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and Hodgkins disease, both common cancers of the white blood cells in children and young adults. One of our long-term objectives is to explore the use of immunotherapy both as a preventive and therapeutic option in childhood leukaemia.

 

Memberships of Committees and Professional Bodies

I am a member of the American Association for Cancer Research, the British Society for Histocompatibility and Immunogenetics, and Childrens Cancer and Leukaemia Group (UK). I sit on the UK Childhood Cancer Study research committee, the Cancer and Leukaemia International Consortium, and am a member of the Children with Cancer (UK) Scientific Advisory Committee. I am on the editorial boards of Cancer Immunology Immunotherapy, and Cancer Epidemiology, and review papers for numerous journals.

Research

As part of the national UK Childhood Cancer Study (UKCCS), and national studies of childhood leukaemia and lymphoma therapy, we are investigating how the immune response of children to infections and cancer-associated proteins might be influenced by the HLA (Human Leucocyte Antigen) genes. The HLA proteins are intrinsically involved in the way immune system recognises self and foreign molecules such as infectious agents that might cause leukaemia and lymphoma, and novel proteins expressed by leukaemia cells that are not present on normal cells. Our group has shown that certain HLA proteins can act as “friend” and whilst others act as “foe” in childhood leukaemia, by protecting children on the one hand but increasing susceptibility on the other. We have suggested that friendly HLA molecules increase the chance that a child’s immune system will recognise his/her leukaemia as foreign, whilst unfriendly molecules fail to do this, but may increase reactions to certain infections thought to cause leukaemia. We are particularly interested in the use of bio-informatic methods in the design of cancer vaccines. Recently we have also shown that HLA molecules can influence the response to chemotherapy in childhood leukaemia.

Our group has also been instrumental in developing assays for the detection of germline mutations caused by environmental and medically sources of genotoxins including radiation that are transmitted to offspring. We are exploring both the use of germline minisatellite mutation analysis as a biological dosimeter and as a risk factor for cancer in the offspring of genotoxin-exposed parents.

 

Biography

I graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Zoology in 1966, and a PhD in Zoology in 1970, both from the University of Wales, Bangor. I was Senior Research Biologist at the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital from 1970 until 1973 when I moved to the University of Manchester as an MRC-supported Research Fellow researching active immunotherapy as part of the MRC 6th adult acute myeloid leukaemia clinical trial.

I became Principal Scientific Officer in the NHS in 1977 providing donor-recipient matching for bone marrow transplantation, and continuing research on leukaemia. I also set up a bank of lymphoid cell lines using important patient material which today continues as the Medical Genetics Cell Bank. I was appointed Consultant Clinical Scientist in the NHS in 1990, rebadged to Manchester University as Reader in Cancer Immunogenetics in 2001, and transferred to the School of Cancer Sciences in 2007.

I am a recipient of travelling fellowships to the Swiss Institute for Cancer Research (1978), University of Leiden (1979), AECL Canada (1992), and numerous travel awards. I am a Fellow of the Royal College of Pathologists (1998), Member and Royal College of Paediatrics and Child Health (2001)

 

Qualifications

BSc (Hons), PhD (Wales), MRCPCH, FRCPath

 

Publications

2011

  • Hosking FJ, Leslie S, Dilthey A Moutsianas L, Wang Y, Dobbins SE, Papaemmanuil E, Sheridan E, Kinsey SE, Lightfoot T, Roman E, Irving JAE, Allan JM, Taylor M, Greaves m, McVean G, Houlston RS. (2011). MHC variation and risk of childhood B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukaemia MHC variation. Blood, 5(117), 1126-1130. eScholarID:123851
  • Taylor, M., Bergemann, T., Hussain, A., Thompson, P. & Spector, L (2011). Transmission of HLA-DP variants from parents to children with B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia: log-linear analysis using the case-parent design. Hum Immunol, 72(10), 897-903. eScholarID:138694 | PMID:21645570 | DOI:10.1016/j.humimm.2011.05.011

2010

  • 6. Lightfoot TJ, Johnston WT, Painter D, Simpson J, Roman E, Skibola CF, Smith MT, Allan JM, Taylor GM. (2010). Genetic variation in the folate metabolic pathway and risk of childhood leukemia. Blood, 115, 3923-3929. eScholarID:96973 | DOI:10.1182/blood-2009-10-249722
  • 7. Hosking FJ, Papaemmanuil E, Sheridan E, Kinsey SE, Lightfoot T, Roman E, Julie A.E. Irving JAE, Allan JM, Taylor M, Tomlinson IP, Greaves M, Houlston RS. (2010). Genome-wide homozygosity signatures and childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia risk. Blood, 115, 4472-4477. eScholarID:96970 | DOI:10.1182/blood-2009-09-244483
  • 8. Prasad RB, Hosking FJ, Vijayakrishnan J, Papaemmanuil E, Köhler R, Greaves M, Sheridan E, Gast A, Kinsey SE, Lightfoot T, Roman E, Taylor M, Pritchard-Jones K, Stanulla M, Schrappe M, Bartram CR, Houlston RS, Kumar R, Hemminki K. (2010). Verification of the susceptibility loci on 7p12.2, 10q21.2 and 14q11.2 in precursor B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia of childhood. Blood, 115, 1765-1767. eScholarID:96969 | DOI:10.1182/blood-2009-09-241513
  • Enciso-Mora et al. (2010). A genome-wide association study of Hodgkin's lymphoma identifies new susceptibility loci at 2p16.1 (REL), 8q24.21 and 10p14 (GATA3). Nature Genetic, 42(12), 1126-1130. eScholarID:123966 | DOI:10.1038/ng.696
  • Hjalgrim H, Rostgaard K, Johnson PC, Lake A, Shield L, Little AM, Ekstrom-Smedby K, Adami HO, Glimelius B, Hamilton-Dutoit S, Kane E, Taylor GM, McConnachie A, Ryder LP, Sundstrom C, Andersen PS, Chang ET, Alexander FE, Melbye M, Jarrett RF. (2010). HLA-A alleles and infectious mononucleosis suggest a critical role for cytotoxic T-cell response in EBV-related Hodgkin lymphoma. Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 107, 6400-6405. eScholarID:96208 | DOI:10.1073/pnas.0915054107
  • Sherborne AL, Hosking FJ, Prasad RB, Kumar R, Koehler R, Vijayakrishnan J, Paaemmanuil E, Bartram CR, Stanulla M, Schrappe M, Gast A, Dobbins SE, Ma Y, Sheridan E, Taylor M, Kinsey SE, Lightfoot T, Roman E, Irving JA, Allan JM, Moorman AV, Harrison CJ, Tomlinson IP, Richards S, Zimmermann M, Szalai C, Semsei AF, Erdelyi DJ, Krajinovic M, Sinnett D, Healy J, Neira AG, Kawamata N, Ogawa S, Koeffler HP, Hemminki K, Greaves M, Houlston RS. (2010). Variation in CDKN2A at 9p21.3 influences childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia risk. Nature Genetics, 42, 492-494. eScholarID:96206 | DOI:10.1038/ng.585
  • Taylor M, Cieslak M, Rees GS, Oojageer A, Leith C, Bristow C, Tawn EJ, Winther JF, Boice JD. (2010). Comparison of germline minisatellite mutation (GMM) detection at the CEB1 locus by Southern blotting and PCR amplification. Mutagenesis, 25, 343-349. eScholarID:96967 | DOI:10.1093/mutage/geq011

2009

  • 4. Taylor GM, Hussain A, Verhage V, Thompson PD, Fergusson WD, Watkins G, Lightfoot T, Harrison CJ, Birch JM. (2009). Strong association of the HLA-DP6 supertype with childhood leukaemia is due to a single allele, DPB1*0601. Leukemia, 23, 863-869. eScholarID:96980 | DOI:10.1038/leu.2008.374
  • Malcolm Taylor, Adiba Hussain, Kevin Urayama, Anand Chokkalingam, Pamela Thompson, Elizabeth Trachtenberg, Patricia Buffler. (2009). The human major histocompatibility complex and childhood leukemia: An etiological hypothesis based on molecular mimicry. Blood Cells Molecules and Diseases, 42(2), 129-135. eScholarID:48896 | DOI:10.1016/j.bcmd.2008.10.009
  • Papaemmanuil E, Hosking FJ, Vijayakrishnan J, Price A, Olver B, Sheridan E, Kinsey SE, Lightfoot T, Roman E, Irving JA, Allan JM, Tomlinson IP, Taylor M, Greaves M, Houlston RS. (2009). Loci on 7p12.2, 10q21.2 and 14q11.2 are associated with risk of childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Nature Genetics, 41(9), 1006-1010. eScholarID:48865 | DOI:10.1038/ng.430
  • Taylor GM, Richards S, Wade R, Hussain A, Simpson J, Hill F, Mitchell C, Eden T. (2009). Relationship between HLA-DP supertype and survival in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia: evidence for selective loss of immunological control of residual disease? Br J Haematol, 145( 1), eScholarID:1d19671 | DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2141.2008.07571.x
  • Taylor, GM, Hussain, A, Verhage, V, Thompson, PD, Fergusson, W, Watkins, G, Lightfoot, T, Harrison, C, Birch, JM, NULL. (2009). Strong association of the HLA-DP6 supertype with childhood leukaemia is due to a single allele, DPB1*0601. Leukemia, 23( 5), eScholarID:1d32365 | DOI:10.1038/leu.2008.374

2008

  • Malcolm Taylor, Christine Harrison, Tim Eden, Jillian Birch, Mel Greaves, Tracy Lightfoot & Adiba Hussain on behalf of UKCCS Investigators. (2008). HLA-DPB1 supertype-associated protection from childhood leukaemia: relationship to leukaemia karyotype and implications for prevention. Cancer Immunology and Immunotherapy, 57(1), 53-61. eScholarID:48860 | DOI:10.1007/s00262-007-0349-5
  • Taylor GM, Hussain A, Lightfoot T, Birch JM, Eden OB, Greaves M. (2008). HLA-associated susceptibility to childhood B-cell precursor ALL: definition and role of HLA-DPB1 supertypes. Br J Cancer, 98( 6), eScholarID:1d19672 | DOI:10.1038/sj.bjc.6604257

2007

  • Davies B, Hussain A, Ring S, Birch JM, Eden T, Reeves M, Dubrova Y, Taylor GM. (2007). New germline mutations in the hypervariable minisatellite CEB1 in the parents of children with leukaemia. Br J Cancer, 96( 8), 1265-71. eScholarID:1d31361
  • Wilson K, Freeland J, Gallagher A, Cosby S, Earle J, Alexander F, Taylor GM, Jarrett R. (2007). Measles virus and classical Hodgkin lymphoma: no evidence for a direct association. Int J Cancer, 121( 2), 442-7. eScholarID:1d31480
  • Taylor GM, Hussain A, Birch JM, Eden TOB, Greaves M. (2007). HLA-DPB1*0601: an uncommon HLA class II allele strongly associated with a minority of childhood leukaemias. Cancer Research, 48, 419-. eScholarID:49049

2006

  • Meyer, S, Barber, L, White, DDJ, Andrew M. Will, Birch, JM, Janice A. Kohler, Ersfeld, KK.., Eric Blom, Hans Joenje, Eden, OB, Taylor, GM. (2006). Spectrum and significance of variants and mutations in the Fanconi anaemia group G gene in children with sporadic acute myeloid leukaemia. British Journal of Haematology, 133, 284-293. eScholarID:1d13048 | DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2141.2006.05985.x
  • Ng A, Taylor GM, Eden OB. (2006). Genotoxicity of etoposide: greater susceptibility of MLL that other target genes. Cancer Genetics and Cytogenetics, 164, 164-167. eScholarID:48991
  • Niens, M, van den Berg, A, Diepstra, A, Nolte, I, van der Steege, G, Gallagher, A, Taylor, GM, Jarrett, R, Poppema, S, te Meerman, G. (2006). The human leukocyte antigen class I region is associated with EBV-positive Hodgkin's lymphoma: HLA-A and HLA complex group 9 are putative candidate genes. Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev, 15( 11), 2280-4. eScholarID:1d31347
  • Taylor GM, Alexander FE, D'Souza SW. (2006). Interactions between fetal HLA-DQ alleles and maternal smoking influence birthweight. Paediatric and Perinatal Epidemiology, 20, 438-448. eScholarID:1d15369
  • Barber L, Meyer S, White DDJ, Andrew M. Will, Eden OB, Taylor GM. (2006). The association between FANCD1/BRCA2 mutations and leukaemia - response to Alter. British Journal Of Haematology, 133(4), 448. eScholarID:17d398

2005

  • Barber L, Barlow R, Meyer S, White DDJ, Will AM, Eden OB, Taylor GM. (2005). Inherited FANCD1/BRCA2 exon 7 splice mutations associated with acute myeloid leukaemia in Fanconi anaemia D1 are not found in sporadic childhood leukaemia. British Journal Of Haematology, 130 (5), 796-797. eScholarID:1d26679
  • Cordano P, Lake A, Shield L, Taylor GM, Alexander FE, White J, Jarrett R. (2005). Effect of IL-6 promoter polymorphism on incidence and outcome in Hodgkin's lymphoma. British Journal of Haematology, 128, 493-495. eScholarID:1d15367
  • Jarrett RF, Stark G, Angus B, Alexander FE, Krajewski AS, Freeland J, Taylor GM, Taylor PRA. (2005). Impact of tumor Epstein-Barr virus status on presenting features and outcome in age-defined subgroups of patients with classic Hodgkin lymphoma: a population-based study. Blood, 106, 2444-2451. eScholarID:1d15366
  • Meyer, S, Fergusson, W, Oostra AB , Medhurst AL, Waisfisz Q, de Winter JP, Chen F, Carr TF, Clayton-Smith, J, Clancy, T, Green M, Barber, L, Eden, OB, Will AM, Joenje H, Taylor, GM. (2005). A cross- linker sensitive myeloid leukaemia cell line from a 2-year-old boy with severe Fanconi Anaemia and bi-allelic FANCD1/BRCA2 mutations. Genes Chromosomes and Cancer, 42(4), 404-415. eScholarID:1d10145 | DOI:10.1002/gcc.20153
  • Ng A, Taylor GM, Wynn RF, Eden OB. (2005). Effects of Topoisomerase 2 Inhibitors on the M.L.L. Gene in Children receiving chemotherapy - A Prospective Study. Leukaemia, 19(2), 253-259. eScholarID:1d12569
  • Obsborne J, Lake A, Alexander FE, Taylor GM, Jarrett RF. (2005). Germline mutations and polymorphisms in the NFKBIA gene in Hodgkin lymphoma. International Journal of Cancer, 116(4), 646-651. eScholarID:48965

2004

  • Meyer, S, Kingston, H, Taylor AM, Byrd PJ, Last JIK, Brennan, BMD, Trueman S, Kelsey, A, Taylor, GM, Eden, OB. (2004). Rhabdomyosarcoma in Nijmegen Breakage Syndrome: strong association with perianal primary site. Cancer Genetics and Cytogenetics, 154, 169-174. eScholarID:1d10045
  • Ng A, Ravetto P, Taylor GM, Wynn RF, Eden OB. (2004). Coexistence of treatment-related MLL cleavage and rearrangement in a child with haemophagocytic lymphohistiocytosis. British Journal of Cancer, 91 (12), 1990-92.. eScholarID:1d10057

2003

  • Alexander FE, Lawrence DJ, Freeland J, Krajewski AS, Angus B, Taylor GM, Jarrett RF. (2003). An epidemiologic study of index and family infectious mononucleosis and adult Hodgkin's disease (HD): evidence for a specific association with EBV+ve HD in young adults. Int J Cancer, 107(2):, eScholarID:1d7517
  • Barber L, McGrath HEN, Meyer S, Will AM, Birch JM, Eden OB, Taylor GM. (2003). Constitutional sequence variation in the Fanconi anaemia group C (FANCC) gene in childhood acute myeloid leukaemia. British Journal Of Haematology, 121 (1), 57-62. eScholarID:1d25388
  • Jarrett RF, Krajewski AS, Angus B, Freeland J, Taylor PR, Taylor GM, Alexander FE. (2003). The Scotland and Newcastle epidemiological study of Hodgkin's disease: impact of histopathological review and EBV status on incidence estimates. J Clin Pathol, 56(11):, eScholarID:1d7516
  • Kerr JR, Barah F, Cunniffe VS, Smith J, Vallely, PJ, Will AM , Wynn, RF, Stevens RF, Taylor, GM, Cleator, GM, Eden, OB. (2003). Association of acute parvovirus B19 infection with new onset of acute lymphoblastic and myeloblastic leukaemia. Journal of Clinical Pathology, 56(11), eScholarID:1d6560
  • Ravetto P, Agarwal R, Chiswick ML, D'Souza SW, Eden OB, Taylor GM. (2003). Absence of leukaemic fusion gene transcripts in preterm infants exposed to diagnostic X-rays. Archives of Disease in Childhood, 88, F237-F244. eScholarID:1d32721
  • Shears DJ, V Endris, D A Gokhale, S P Dearden, Radford JA, G A Rappold, Taylor GM. (2003). Pseudoautosomal linkage of familial Hodgin's lymphoma: molecular analysis of a unique family with Leri-Weill Dyschondrosteosis and Hodgkin's Lymphoma. British Journal of Haematology, 121(2), 375-380. eScholarID:1d5853
  • Taylor GM, O'Brien H.P, Greaves M.F, Ravetto P.F, Eden OB. (2003). Mutations in the Nijmegen Breakage Syndrome gene, NBS1, in primary childhood leukaemia and lymphoma. Cancer Research, 63, 6563-6564. eScholarID:1d26640

2002

  • Agarwal R, Chiswick ML, Taylor GM, McNally RJQ, Alston RD, Rimmer S, D'Souza SW. (2002). Antenatal steroids are associated with a reduction in the incidence of cerebral white matter lesions in very low birthweight infants. Archives of Diseases in Childhood, 86, eScholarID:1d3795
  • McNally RJQ, Cairns D, Eden OB, Alexander FE, Taylor GM, Kelsey A, Birch JM. (2002). An infectious aetiology for childhood brain tumours? Evidence from space-time clustering and seasonality analyses. British Journal of Cancer, 86, eScholarID:1d3888
  • Staratschek-Jox A, Shugart YY, Strom SS, Nagler A, Taylor GM. (2002). Genetics susceptibility to Hodgkin's lymphoma and to secondary cancer: workshop report. Annals of Oncology, 13, 30-33. eScholarID:49020
  • Taylor GM, DeardenS, Ravetto P, Ayres M, Watson P, Hussain A, Greaves MF, Alexander F, Eden OB. (2002). Genetic susceptibility to childhood common acute lymphoblastic leukaemia is associated with polymorphic peptide-binding pocket profiles in HLA-DPB1*0201. Human Molecular Genetics, 11, 1585-1597. eScholarID:1d3935

2001

  • Alexander FE, Jarrett Rf, Cartwright RA, Armstrong AA, Gokhale D, Kane E, Gray D, Lawrence DJ, Taylor GM. (2001). Epstein-Barr Virus and HLA-DPB1-*0301 in Young Adult Hodgkin's Disease: Evidence for Inherited Susceptibility to Epstein-Barr Virus in cases that are EBV+ve. Cancer Epidemiology Biomarkers and Prevention, 10, 705-709. eScholarID:1d4543
  • Maia AT, Ford AM, Jalali GR, Harrison CJ, Taylor GM, Eden OB, Greaves MF. (2001). Molecular tracking of leukamogenesis in a triplet pregnancy. Blood, 98 (2), eScholarID:1d3802 | DOI:10.1182/blood.V98.2.478
  • McNally RJQ, Cairns D, Eden OB, Kelsey A, Taylor GM, Birch JM. (2001). Examination of temporal trends in the incidence of childhood leukaemias and lymphomas provides aetiological clues. Leukaemia, 15, eScholarID:1d3886
  • McNally RJQ, Kelsey A, Cairns D, Taylor GM, Eden OB, Birch JM. (2001). Temporal increases in the incidence of childhood solid tumors seen in Northwest England (1954-1998) are likely to be real. Cancer, 92, eScholarID:1d3884
  • Wiemels JL, Smith RN, Taylor GM, Eden OB, Alexander FE, Greaves MF. (2001). Methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) polymorphisms and risk of molecularly defined subtypes of childhood acute leukemia. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 98, eScholarID:1d3932 | DOI:10.1073/pnas.061408298

2000

  • Birch J M, Alexander F E, Blair V, Eden OB, Taylor GM, McNally R J Q. (2000). Space-time clustering patterns in childhood leukaemia support a role for infection. British Journal of Cancer, 82(9), eScholarID:1d4459
  • Doll R, Roman E, Day NE, Law G, Birch JM, Greaves MF, Taylor GM. (2000). The United Kingdom Childhood Cancer Study: objectives, materials and methods. British Journal of Cancer, 82, eScholarID:1d4515
  • McNally RJQ, Birch JM, Taylor GM, Eden OB. (2000). Incidence of childhood precursor B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in north-west England. Lancet, 356 (9228), eScholarID:17d233

1999

  • Taylor GM, Gokhale DA, Gokhale DA, Crowther D, Crowther D, Woll PJ, Harris M, Ryder D, Ayres M, Radford, JA. (1999). Further investigation of the role of HLA-DPB 1 in adult Hodgkin's disease (HD) suggests an influence on susceptibility to different HD subtypes. British Journal of Cancer, 50, 1405-1411. eScholarID:1d3097
  • Wiemels JL, Pagnamenta A, Taylor GM, Eden OB, Alexander FE, Greaves MF. (1999). A lack of a functional NAD(P)H:quinone oxidoreductase allele is selectively associated with paediatric leukaemias that have MLL fusions. Cancer Research, 59, eScholarID:1d3930

1996

  • Adibzadeh M, Mariani E, Bartolini C, Beckman I, Ligthart G, Remarque E, Shall S, Solana R, Taylor, GM, Barnett Y, Pawelec G. (1996). Lifespan of T lymphocytes. Mech Ageing Dev, 91, eScholarID:1d4455

  • Alexander F E, Jarrett R F, Lawrence D, Armstrong A A , Freeland J, Gokhale D A, Kane E, Taylor, GM, Wright D H, Cartwright R A. Risk factors for Hodgkin's disease by Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) status: prior infection by EBV and other agents. British Journal Of Cancer, eScholarID:1d32704
  • Taylor JA, Kennedy JA, Ravetto P, Hussain A, Grufferman S, Taylor GM. Sequence specific oligonucleotide probe (SSOP) typing of HLA-DRB1 alleles: comparison with sequence based typing (SBT). eScholarID:1d4608

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