2011 Participants
Emily Cottrell
The testis specific gene PIWIL2 is critical for self-renewal in mammalian germline stem cells. It is also expressed in a number of human malignancies. We have demonstrated the expression of PIWIL2 in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL), raising the possibility of a role in the maintenance of leukaemic stem cells. Modulation of PIWIL2 expression in the childhood ALL cell line SEM results in a decreased proliferation, G2 cell cycle arrest and increased apoptosis. The aim of this vacation studentship is to investigate this phenomenon further by repeating serial knockdown experiments and functional assessments in additional childhood ALL cell lines REH and 697.
Funding Source: Newcastle University