Ben Roberts

• MBBS
• The role of the Chemokine-like MARVEL trans membrane-type proteins CMTM6-8 in survival of B cell precursor ALL

Current literature suggests that CMTM7 and -8 genes have crucial roles in B cell function; this correlates with expression data, obtained from normal B cells throughout their development. Data from Newcastle identified a patient with a CMTM7-8 deletion and another containing a BLNK gene deletion. CMTM7 and-8 appears to have decreased expression at early relapse when compared to corresponding values at diagnosis, although not all patients show this pattern. This may suggest that low CMTM7 and -8 gene expression are markers of early relapse in certain patient subgroups. Loss of CMTM may therefore provide a survival advantage in leukemic cells.

Funding source: Newcastle University