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Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukemia (JMML)

Juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML) is a rare type of leukemia that begins from the myeloid cells. It is neither acute (fast-growing) or chronic (slow-growing) and most often occurs in young children (under age 4). 

Leukemia is the term used to describe cancer of the bone marrow. In healthy people, bone marrow fills the bones in the body and produces the number of red blood cells (RBCs), white blood cells (WBCs), and platelets that the body needs. In a child with juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML), the bone marrow creates millions of abnormal WBCs. As the bone marrow becomes packed with these abnormal cells, they crowd out the healthy cells and symptoms of JMML begin to develop.

JMML is a very rare form of childhood leukemia that is most often diagnosed in the first two years of life. Below are links describing JMML, risk factors, signs and symptoms, diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment. It includes ways to learn about the newest research and treatments available for JMML.

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JMML Annual Researcher Summit

Mission of the JMML Researcher Summit

To establish an international scientific forum, driven simply by a focus on the JMML disease and not by country or institutional goals, that combines clinical, basic, and translational research in order to improve survivability among JMML patients. Learn more. 


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Latest Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukemia (JMML) grants

Elliot Stieglitz, MD, Principal Investigator
The Regents of the University of California San Francisco
R Accelerated Award Grants, Awarded 2023
Loren Walensky, MD/PhD , Principal Investigator
Dana-Farber Cancer Institute
Innovation Grants, Awarded 2018
Alan Cantor, MD, PhD, Principal Investigator
Boston Children’s Hospital
Innovation Grants, Awarded 2015

Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukemia (JMML) Heroes

Latest Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukemia (JMML) blog posts

As the Alex’s Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) Director of Science, I work to evaluate our funded research projects to track progress and find gaps in funding so that we can direct more research dollars to the largest areas of need, and to... more
When Lilly faced surgery after relapsing, her family made the decision to donate extra tumor tissue to research instead of throwing it away. 

“We hope that Lilly’s neuroblastoma tumor can be some small part of helping other children who... more
Every day, everywhere, children are diagnosed with cancer. Right now, children are in hospitals receiving frontline treatment following a diagnosis. Other children are beginning a clinical trial following a relapse. Still others face long-... more