IL-7 and IL-7R in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Host

Cristina João, Principal Investigator, Champalimaud Research 

Venue

Seminar room

Abstract

Interleukin 7 (produced in the bone marrow, thymus and other organs) and its receptor (expressed in  developing  B and T cells) are essential for normal lymphoid development. However, we and others have shown that the IL7-IL7R signaling axis can be oncogenic and contribute to the development and expansion of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (a blood cancer that arises from developing lymphocytes). I will describe some of our efforts to understand how this happens and to clarify how IL7R signaling idiosyncrasies in leukemia cells may be potentially exploited therapeutically.

Biography

João T. Barata is Lab Head at Instituto de Medicina Molecular, and Associate Professor at the Faculty of Medicine of Lisbon University, Portugal, where he is chair of Oncobiology for medical students and coordinator of the Masters in Oncobiology. He received an ERC Consolidator Grant (2015-2021) to study the mechanisms of IL-7R signaling in cancer in general and acute lymphoblastic leukemia in particular and two ERC Proof-of-concept grants (one ongoing) to explore the therapeutic potential of his findings. He also received a la Caixa Research award to study the impact of IL7R in lung cancer. His work, mainly focused on signal transduction and the characterization of novel mechanisms driving tumor development, has identified new players (e.g. miR223, CK2 or CASZ1) and genetic and posttranslational alterations (e.g. affecting IL7R or PTEN) promoting lymphoid leukemia.

Register here.
 

About CR Colloquia Series

Champalimaud Research (CR) Colloquia Series is a seminar programme organised by the Champalimaud Centre for the Unknown to promote the discussion about the most interesting and significant questions in neuroscience and physiology & cancer with appointed speakers by the CR Community.