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Novel Approaches to Target PRC2 Enzymatic Complexes for the Treatment of Hematopoietic Malignancies Enzymes that modify chromatin (the physiological form of DNA) are commonly found hyper-activated among lymphoma and myeloma. Novel therapeutics needs to be developed for treating these currently incurable malignancies. We investigate the mechanisms for their hyperactivities and develop new ways for their […]

Investigating the role of the ROBO1 protein in the development of blood cancers The Roundabout receptor 1 (ROBO1) is a recently discovered molecule. ROBO1 has been shown to be involved in the genesis of certain cancers and the development of the blood vessels that feed tumors. Alterations in the gene encoding ROBO1 occurs in children […]

Modulation of Immune Cell Homing and Interaction by Mesenchymal Stem Cell within CNS Tumor Microenvironment Cancer cells manage to evade detection and elimination by the immune system whose job is to recognize and eliminate the threat of foreign invaders and cancer cells in the body. Dr. Huang’s laboratory proposes to take advantage of a unique […]

Integrin and Chemokine-Mediated Homing During B Cell Ontogeny and Leukemogenesis Acute lymphoblastic leukemia is a form of cancer that affects the lymphocytes and lymphocyte-producing cells in bone marrow. B-lymphocytes (B-cells for short) are white blood cells that produce antibodies and are vital parts of the body’s immune system. Acute lymphoblastic leukemia often affects B-cells and […]

My work focuses on understanding key protein interactions that go awry in cancer and developing novel drugs that block these interactions and promote cancer cell death.

Therapeutic Activation of the PP2A Tumor Suppressor in High-Risk T-cell Acute Lymphomblastic Leukemia High‐risk T‐cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T‐ALL) is typically incurable with current therapy. We performed a zebrafish drug screen, which revealed that perphenazine (a clinical antipsychotic) has anti‐T‐ALL activity via reactivation of PP2A, an important tumor suppressor. Here, we will investigate the biology […]

A Diet and Activity Intervention to Improve Survival and Quality of Life in Obese Adolescents Receiving Therapy for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia Acute lymphoblastic leukemia is the most common childhood cancer and relapse is the leading cause of death. Obesity during treatment is associated with relapse and greater side effects. We propose to conduct a clinical […]

Identification and correction of T cell defects in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia and impact on T cell therapy. Patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia can be treated with a variety of regimens, but only cell therapies such as transplant or genetically-modified T cells (CART19) can be curative. Our research proposes to test the combination of […]

Inhibition of Runx1 Tyrosine Phosphorylation in the Treatment of Human Leukemia Normal gene expression is controlled by proteins, called transcription factors, which bind to DNA and turn on or off nearby genes. Mutations in transcription factors occur frequently in cancer, leading to disordered gene expression. The transcription factor Runx1 is one of the most common […]

Role of regulated nutrient transporter expression in suppressing leukemia and lymphoma development. Because cancer cells grow very rapidly, they are very dependent on a high rate of nutrient flux into the cell. The Edinger Lab hopes to identify the molecular tricks that leukemia cells use to import nutrients more efficiently than normal cells. By understanding […]

Dr. Knoechel researches the 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 […]

Dr. Kentsis researches the blockade of autocrine signaling for curative therapy of acute myeloid leukemia. Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a blood cancer that frequently affects both children and adults. Current treatment of AML with chemotherapy is toxic, and new therapies are direly needed for patients whose disease is resistant to intensive chemotherapy. Our research […]