Investigators: Sebastien Malinge
Project description:
Children with Down syndrome face a nearly 30-fold increased risk of developing bad prognosis B cell leukaemia (DS-ALL). Treatment intensification is limited in DS-ALL due to their high sensitivity to treatment-related toxicity and increased risk of infection, highlighting the need to develop novel therapeutic strategies. Studying the role of trisomy 21 in DS-leukaemia, we identified DYRK1A as a main actor of leukaemia development in animal model. In this project, we will investigate the role of DYRK1A in leukaemia predisposition and maintenance, and assess if using a specific DYRK1A DYRK1A inhibitor represents a new therapeutic option to improve the outcome of Down syndrome children with B-cell leukaemia.
Collaborators: John Crispino (St Jude Hospital, Memphis, USA)
Partners: Child Cancer Research Foundation, Cancer Council WA and Jerome Lejeune Foundation