2014 participants
Abraham Attah
The translocation t(4;11) is the most frequent chromosomal abnormality found in infant leukaemia and is associated with a dismal prognosis. It generates the fusion gene MLL/AF4, which is essential for maintaining the leukaemic phenotype, and which encodes a poorly understood transcriptional regulator. We have established an RNA interference-based approach to knockdown MLL/AF4 in leukaemic cells. Inhibition of this fusion protein does not only affect leukaemic expansion both ex vivo and in vivo, it also causes profound changes in gene expression pattern. This project is aimed to identify MLL/AF4 target genes of possible relevance for maintaining the leukaemic phenotype.
Funding Source: Newcastle University