A new tool called BlinPredict is helping doctors spot which children's leukaemia may return

For children with B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia, a medicine called blinatumomab — an immunotherapy that helps the body's own defences find leukaemia cells — has changed treatment. But doctors could not reliably tell whose cancer might come back. A UK and Ireland study of more than 200 young patients across 24 centres, published in Blood Advances, found the strongest clue is how much leukaemia remains after the first treatment cycle, alongside two genetic subtypes linked to poorer response. The team built that knowledge into BlinPredict, a tool to identify the children most at risk so their care can be adjusted early — and Newcastle researchers say it is already guiding treatment across the UK.

SDG 3 · Good health and well-being — Mechanism: tech innovation