Project 462733

Each year, over 20 000 Canadians are diagnosed with blood cancers. Many of these cancers are very difficult to treat. These tumors are caused by defects in genes that control the development of blood cells. Even in patients diagnosed with the same blood cancer type, the specific gene defects are variable. Furthermore, they can occur in several combinations. This diversity likely explains why patients respond differently to treatment. Indeed, the same therapy can work very well in some people, and not at all in others. Therefore, it is crucial to better understand how specific gene defects act to cause blood cancer. We also need to know how they influence whether therapies are effective. In this application, we will study in details how several gene defects lead to the development of blood cancers. We will first investigate how they perturb normal blood cells and trigger cancer initiation. We will then examine how they cause the tumors to become more aggressive. In addition, we will test therapies that may better kill cancer cells that carry specific combinations of gene defects. Results from this research may uncover new ways to treat blood cancers that are personalized to each patient.