Determining the role of Rel/NF-kB Transcription Factors in Myeloid Differentiation

Funded Activity Summary

Different types of mature blood cells arise from stem cells in a process involving changes in gene expression that dictate which types of blood cells ultimately develop. A family of gene regulatory proteins called NF-kB transcription factors has been found to control the pattern of gene expression in a particular blood cell precursor called a granulocyte macrophage precursor (GMP) that normally generates two types of mature blood cells called macrophages and neutrophils. In the absence of NF-kB proteins, a change in the pattern of gene expression in GMPs leads to an imbalance in production of these two blood cell types that now favours the generation of neutrophils. This work will provide insight into the molecular mechanisms of blood cell development regulated by NF-kB. With disturbances in the balance of blood cell formation representing a hallmark of leukemia, understanding how this process is normally controlled may have important implications for developing therapeutic strategies to combat various types of leukemias.

Funded Activity Details

Start Date: 01-01-2006

End Date: 01-01-2008

Funding Scheme: NHMRC Project Grants

Funding Amount: $500,944.00

Funder: National Health and Medical Research Council

Research Topics

ANZSRC Field of Research (FoR)

Cell Development, Proliferation and Death

ANZSRC Socio-Economic Objective (SEO)

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Other Keywords

Blood cell development | Cancer | Cell signaling | Gene expression | Hemopoietic development | Immunity | Myeloid cells | Nuclear Factor kappa-B (NF-kB) signalling

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