Lecture entitled ‘Multi-omics analysis in T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia: in search for biological mechanisms and clinical meaning’ by prof. Małgorzata Dawidowska, IHG PAS will take place on April 26th, 2022.
Abstract:
T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is an aggressive subtype of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) – the most common malignancy in children. T-ALL arise from precursors of T lymphocytes. It is less common, more heterogeneous in its (epi-)genetic background and thus less understood as compared to ALL arising from B-cell precursors. In T-ALL, the genetic predictors of the risk of relapse, as well as targeted therapies, still need to be developed. This requires a better understanding of the molecular landscape of this disease. We applied high throughput methods: whole genome sequencing, mRNA sequencing, miRNA sequencing, and methylation EPIC arrays, to investigate the molecular landscape of T-ALL. Yet, our goal is not just a descriptive study. We aim at the integration of the multiomics data, followed by functional validation in vitro, to better understand the biology of this disease. We are focused on the identification of novel oncogenic mechanisms in T-ALL, particularly those driven by aberrant miRNA expression and aberrant DNA methylation. We also aim at the use of the multiomics data to identify the features with prognostic significance and to build a classifier determining the probability T-ALL relapse.