Grant: Project Grant

Epidemiology studies have frequently identified associations between early-life infections and risk of childhood leukemia. However, both leukemia-promoting and protective effects have been reported and as yet no mechanism has been identified to explain these seemingly contradictory findings. Building on preliminary data obtained using mouse models of acute leukemia that demonstrate the potential of early-life infections to both drive or inhibit leukemia, we will identify the specific mechanisms that underlie these activities. Furthermore, we will investigate the ability of intervention strategies to induce the protective immune responses in older mice and in blood from children at different ages. The completion of this study will improve our understanding of the contribution of environmental and immune factors to pediatric leukemia progression and reveal strategies for harnessing this knowledge to reduce the incidence of childhood leukemia onset and relapse.