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Modeling T-Cell A.L.L. T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is an aggressive blood cancer that preferentially affects children and adolescents. The leukemia is commonly associated with specific genetic abnormalities. Dr. Aifantis’ research focuses on one particular gene, known as Notch1, which is found in more than half of T-ALL patients and which has been generally recognized […]

Reducing Relapse of Acute Myeloid Leukemia after Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation We are conducting two clinical trials with novel, minimally toxic conditioning regimens – combining treosulfan or clofarabine, instead of fludarabine, with hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT). Our goal is to reduce the incidence of recurrent leukemia following HCT, thereby increasing the likelihood of long-term survival.

Nras signaling in hematopoietic stem cells and leukemic stem cells

Enhancer rewiring in drug resistant T-ALL and its therapeutic implications T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is a disease that affects children and young adults, for which outcome has remained poor, often due to rapid development of resistance to existing therapies. We propose to determine the epigenetic alterations responsible for drug resistance in T-ALL, and develop […]

The Role of BCL-6 Regulated Chemokine Expression in the Pathogenesis of B-Cell Lymphomas Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) is the most common form of lymphoid malignancy in the adult population. Despite the advent of new drugs and treatment regimens, only 50% of NHL patients are cured, calling for the need of better understanding of the pathogenesis of […]

Fish oil (n-3 fatty acids) and non-Hodgkin lymphoma A growing body of evidence suggests that inflammation is a key factor in the development of cancer including various types of lymphomas. Fish oil, rich in n-3 fatty acids (eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and docosahexaenoic (DHA) acids), has anti-inflammatory activity through inhibition of cyclooygenase-2 (COX-2) activity and has the […]

Identification of genetic dependencies in leukemia stem cells Leukemia cells reside in the bone marrow and derive signals from the surrounding bone marrow cells that are important for their survival and growth.  We aim to identify molecules on the surface of leukemia cells that are required for interaction with the bone marrow.  Blocking these interactions […]

Exploring the role of UCHL1 in leukemia and lymphoma Cellular proteins must occasionally be destroyed in order to maintain the proper functioning of the cell. This is especially true of cancer cells where the destruction of proteins that halt cell division is required for the continued expansion of the cancer. Specific protein removal is the […]

Minimizing Physical Function Decline in Older Adults Receiving Chemotherapy Older adults often develop chemotherapy-associated disability during treatment for acute leukemia which contributes to poor outcomes for these patients. We propose addressing this understudied issue by testing an adaptable exercise program during chemotherapy treatment to improve physical function and quality of life. We anticipate that patients […]

Gene editing in ALL to promote immunomodulatory forms of lytic cell death Cell death removes damaged, pre-malignant, and infected cells. The study of apoptosis has yielded significant insight into the formation and maintenance of leukemia cells: many chemotherapeutics activate apoptotic cell death. We will harness a novel type of inflammatory lytic cell death to promote […]

WT1-targeting adoptive T cell therapy for AML patients at high risk for relapse Although aggressive chemotherapy and stem cell transplantation can cure AML, toxicity is significant and most patients still don’t survive long-term. Transplantation cures are largely due to leukemia-killing immune T cells from the donor. We can genetically engineer a patient’s own T cells […]

Investigating promoter hypermethylation in the biology of MLL-rearranged leukemia, and as a novel target for therapy While the overall cure rate for childhood leukemia is about 80%, children with leukemias that carry mutations in a gene called “MLL” have a much worse prognosis. We have recently discovered that MLL leukemias have a unique tendency to […]