Feinberg
Northwestern Medicine | Northwestern University | Faculty Profiles

News Center

  • Categories
    • Campus News
    • Disease Discoveries
    • Clinical Breakthroughs
    • Education News
    • Scientific Advances
  • Press Releases
  • Media Coverage
  • Podcasts
  • Editor’s Picks
    • COVID-19
    • Cardiology
    • Cancer
    • Neurology and Neuroscience
    • Aging and Longevity
    • Artificial Intelligence in Medicine
  • News Archives
  • About Us
    • Media Contact
    • Share Your News
    • News Feeds
    • Social Media
    • Contact Us
Menu
  • Categories
    • Campus News
    • Disease Discoveries
    • Clinical Breakthroughs
    • Education News
    • Scientific Advances
  • Press Releases
  • Media Coverage
  • Podcasts
  • Editor’s Picks
    • COVID-19
    • Cardiology
    • Cancer
    • Neurology and Neuroscience
    • Aging and Longevity
    • Artificial Intelligence in Medicine
  • News Archives
  • About Us
    • Media Contact
    • Share Your News
    • News Feeds
    • Social Media
    • Contact Us
Home » Uncovering Genetic Factors in Leukemia
Disease Discoveries

Uncovering Genetic Factors in Leukemia

By Nora DunneJul 31, 2015
Share
Facebook Twitter Email
John Crispino
John Crispino, PhD, Robert I. Lurie, MD, and Lora S. Lurie Professor in Medicine-Hematology/Oncology and Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, led a study that explains how the leukemia-promoting DYRK1A gene works in cells.

Northwestern Medicine scientists have discovered how a gene linked to leukemia functions, a finding that may have important implications for children with Down syndrome who have a higher risk of developing the blood cancer.

Patients with Down syndrome have three copies of chromosome 21 in their cells. They’re also 20 times more likely to contract childhood B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia than the general population, making that chromosome an important avenue for researching the genetic basis of the cancer.

“A major goal of my laboratory is to identify the specific gene – or genes – on chromosome 21 responsible for the increased incidence of leukemia in this population,” said study senior author John Crispino, PhD, Robert I. Lurie, MD, and Lora S. Lurie Professor in Medicine-Hematology/Oncology and Biochemistry and Molecular Genetics, and a member of the Robert H. Lurie Comprehensive Cancer Center of Northwestern University.

In previous work, Crispino and colleagues found that a gene on chromosome 21 called DYRK1A contributes to the development of leukemia. Now, in a paper published in the Journal of Experimental Medicine, they expanded on that research by studying the gene in depth. Specifically, they wanted to understand how DYRK1A plays a role in blood cell production. Over-production of immature lymphocytes is a hallmark of acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

With first author Benjamin Thompson, MD, PhD, a postdoctoral fellow, Crispino generated a mouse model that lacks DYRK1A in blood cells. They saw that two types of white blood cells called B and T lymphocytes were severely blocked from developing without the gene. The scientists also found evidence that DYRK1A is normally responsible for regulating cell cycle progression in those lymphocytes.

Because they have extra copies of chromosome 21, children with Down syndrome have more DYRK1A than usual.

“This finding is exciting to us because human B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia cases show increased levels of DYRK1A,” said Crispino. “The results suggest that DYRK1A may be a novel target for therapy in this form of leukemia.”

This work was supported by National Institutes of Health grant R01 CA101774, the Samuel Waxman Cancer Research Foundation, the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society, the Rally Foundation and the Bear Necessities Foundation.

Biochemistry Cancer Genetics Research
Share. Facebook Twitter Email

Related Posts

Sex-Specific Mechanisms for Major Depressive Disorder Identified in Response to Dysregulated Stress Hormones

Mar 23, 2023

Pre-Surgery Immunotherapy May Increase Survival in Advanced Melanoma

Mar 23, 2023

Hormone Therapy Plus Current Treatments Improves Survival in Prostate Cancer

Mar 22, 2023

Comments are closed.

Latest News

Sex-Specific Mechanisms for Major Depressive Disorder Identified in Response to Dysregulated Stress Hormones

Mar 23, 2023

Pre-Surgery Immunotherapy May Increase Survival in Advanced Melanoma

Mar 23, 2023

Hormone Therapy Plus Current Treatments Improves Survival in Prostate Cancer

Mar 22, 2023

How ChatGPT Has, and Will Continue to, Transform Scientific Research

Mar 21, 2023

New Directions for HIV Treatment

Mar 21, 2023
  • News Center Home
  • Categories
  • Press Release
  • Media Coverage
  • Editor’s Picks
  • News Archives
  • About Us
Flickr Photos
20230317_NM651
20230317_NM610
20230317_NM569
20230317_NM537
20230317_NM331
20230317_NM323
20230317_NM316
20230317_NM336
20230317_NM626
20230317_NM662
20230317_NM655
20230317_NM642

Northwestern University logo

Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

RSS Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Flickr YouTube Instagram
Copyright © 2023 Northwestern University
  • Contact Northwestern University
  • Disclaimer
  • Campus Emergency Information
  • Policy Statements

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.