B-cell derived acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common cancer in children. Despite significant improvements in chemotherapy combinations, approximately 20% of children with high-risk ALL fail their treatments. It is now clear that there are different subtypes of ALL with different genetic mutations. These mutations activate and disrupt signaling pathways within the leukemia cells that allows them to grow out of control. Our laboratory is interested in Philadelphia chromosome-like (Ph-like) ALL, which is associated with a high-risk of relapse and poor overall survival.
