Genetic Analysis Of Drug Resistance In Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukaemia
Funder
National Health and Medical Research Council
Funding Amount
$227,036.00
Summary
Treatment for childhood leukaemia fails in approximately 25% of children owing to resistance to the drugs being used. Our recent evidence suggests that only a few rare leukaemic cells are initially resistant at the commencement of treatment. This project aims to isolate these rare cells and to look for genetic changes in them which might account for their resistance. Hopefully an understanding of the genetic basis for drug resistance will lead to better means of overcoming it.
We propose to use a number of genetic approaches to identify key mutations involved in Polycythemia vera. We will analyse patient material, use cell lines and mouse models to investigate any new mutations. We also aim to dissect the role of an important blood cell surface receptor and its cooperation with the mutation in JAK2 recently shown to be important in this disease. These approaches will lead to better understanding of the disease and potential new diagnostic and drug strategies.