Grant: Doctoral: Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarships

Cutaneous T cell lymphoma (CTCL) is a rare but fatal disease arising from the T lymphocytes, the most common immune cells of our body. This disease affects more than 3000 Canadians; many of them will die of this disease due to the lack of effective therapies. Normally T lymphocytes have the ability to defend the body against bacterial and viral infections. They stop multiplying at the instruction of the body. In contrast, the malignant T lymphocytes of CTCL are deficient in infection fighting ability, and they proliferate uncontrollably even when the body tells them to stop. My research is to understand the fundamental mechanism responsible for the development of the CTCL malignant lymphocytes. Specifically, I study a protein, called TOX that potentially is the key molecular switch present in the malignant T lymphocytes. The results generated will provide vital information on how to turn the malignant T lymphocytes off. Therefore, it will help generate valuable clues for developing effective therapies for this fatal disease.