Alan Wong
Copper Metabolism as a Novel Therapeutic Target for Leukemia
Abstract
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common pediatric cancer and 2nd greatest cause of pediatric cancer mortality. Mortality is frequently related to spread of the cancer to the central nervous system (CNS), and all ALL patients receive preventative chemotherapy to the CNS. However, patients can become resistant to these therapies, and in some cases CNS-directed chemotherapy can have long-lasting side-effects. My research goal is to identify unique molecular vulnerabilities of ALL cells both systemically and in the CNS that can serve as therapeutic targets. I conducted an in vivo CRISPR screen that identified copper metabolism as a potential therapeutic vulnerability in ALL. Follow-up studies suggest that copper is necessary to support electron transport chain function in leukemia cells. The proposed work thus seeks to determine the cytotoxic mechanism of copper depletion in leukemia cells, and to assess the efficacy of copper depletion against systemic and CNS ALL.
I'm thankful to be a recipient of this fellowship to support my research. As an international student from Canada, I am otherwise ineligible for many PhD fellowships in the USA. My current research focusses on leukemia, which is one of the most common childhood cancers. In some patients, the cancer spreads to the brain and can cause significant morbidity and mortality. This funding will support my ongoing efforts to uncover novel therapies that can effectively treat leukemia in the brain while sparing healthy brain tissue. My work ultimately aims to improve the survivorship and quality of life of childhood leukemia patients.
