Massachusetts General Hospital

55 Fruit Street

Boston, MA 2114

United States

The Role of Metabolism in MLL-AF9 Leukemia Initiation

It has been shown that metabolism, which comprises a range of biochemical processes essential for cell functioning, can play a role in the causation of cancer including leukemias. Certain leukemia cells have been shown to have cancer initiating or 'stem cell' potential. There is little knowledge about the role that metabolism plays in the maintenance of leukemia stem cells.

TLE1 Tumor Suppressor as a Key Regulator of myc Induced Leukemia

Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (ALL), Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML)

Research in pediatric cancer over last 30 years has led to improvements in the treatment and cure rate for most of the pediatric cancer. Despite improvement in the pediatric patient survival over the last decades, still about 30-40% of children die of cancer and also many treatments affects the quality of the life. There is a need for identification of new targets and anti-cancer agents to improve the survival and quality of life. TLE1 gene is a novel tumor suppressor and co-repressor gene that is deleted or methylated in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and other hematological malignancies.

Identification of FDA approved drugs with anti-tumor activity in rhabdomyosarcoma.

Rhabdomyosarcoma

This project will uncover genetic pathways and FDA approved drugs that have novel anti-tumor activity in a rare, pediatric malignancy of muscle -- embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma (ERMS). Rhabdomyosarcoma effects over 250 patients annually in the United States, of which ERMS is the most common subtype. Our work has already identified a key genetic pathway involved in ERMS tumor growth, the RAS pathway.

A mouse model of Wilms' Tumor

Wilms Tumor

Background

The pediatric kidney cancer, Wilms tumor, is the fourth most common type of cancer in children. Wilms tumor seems to arise because of abnormalities in the formation of the kidneys from primitive cells in the embryo. The most studied genes mutated in Wilms tumor include WT1 and beta-catenin, which are essential for controlling the development of normal kidneys and in controlling how cells divide. However, these genes are only mutated in a small percentage of Wilms tumors.

Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation for Childhood Cancer