Grant: Cat Gr: Develop./validation of new biomedical techniques/technolo.- General Pool

Mistakes made during hematopoiesis, the development of our blood system, can lead to numerous diseases, including Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML), one of the most common and aggressive types of leukemia. Despite exciting advances in our understanding of AML and the availability of more aggressive treatment regimens, approximately 30% of treated patients eventually relapse and suffer from very poor overall survival. Older AML patients often have a low chance of survival and suffer from intensive treatments, emphasizing the need for more effective therapies. The overarching goal of the proposed research is to uncover mechanisms of chemical modifications on an RNA molecule in leukemia. While genetic mutations in AML have been identified and well characterized, much less is known about how changes in these processes contribute to the pathogenesis of AML. RNA modifications have been known for their downstream effects on messenger (m)RNAs; new studies show that modifications of RNA transcripts associating with our DNA can also influence the accessibility and expression status of our genetic material. We aim to develop novel techniques to specifically map the methylation of these RNA species to better understand how blood cancers progress and resist therapy. Overall, the study has the potential to make a significant contribution to cancer research and form the foundation for the development of innovative therapeutic strategies to improve the lives of people affected by these deadly diseases.