Grant: Operating Grant

Cutaneous T cell lymphomas (CTCL) are cancers that are developed from the CD4+ subset of the mature T lymphocytes in the skin. Although rare, these cancers are highly aggressive in advanced stages, causing high mortality because there are no curative therapies at present. These cancers are difficult to diagnose because of lack of sensitive and specific markers. Further the molecular events leading to the initiation and progression of skin lymphoma cells remain unclear. Our laboratory recently discovered a previously unrecognized marker, TOX (which stands for thymocytes high mobility group box protein), that is abnormally activated not only in late stage disease but also in the earliest form of skin lymphomas. In the current study, we will perform a series of experiments to answer two questions: (1) Can TOX protein serve as a sensitive and specific diagnostic marker for skin lymphoma cells? Currently, the lack of such a marker is a major bottleneck in the treatment and research of skin lymphomas; and (2) Is TOX abnormal activation a cause for the development of skin lymphomas? Not only does this study have the potential of identifying a specific diagnostic marker for skin lymphomas, it also offers the unique possibility of clarifying how skin lymphomas develop, thus facilitating therapeutic development for skin lymphomas, which remain incurable at present.