The tyrosine kinase activity of the ABL oncogene is a growth stimulus for hematopoietic cells. ABL is activated by viral transduction in the Abelson murine leukemia virus GAG-ABL fusion and in human leukemias with the Philadelphia chromosome translocation, including chronic myelogenous leukemia and acute lymphocytic leukemia, which generate BCR-ABL fusions. The overall goal of this proposal is to understand the roles of ABL in the growth regulation of hematopoietic stem cells and in the pathogenesis of leukemia. We will expand upon our successful development of hematopoietic tissue culture and in vivo models for leukemogenesis which have helped to define the target cells for the ABL gene. Further definition of the structural changes and functional consequences of the activation of the ABL tyrosine kinase activity, and their relation to cellular signalling pathways, will be carried out. The role of the BCR gene in the transcriptional, translational, and posttranslational control of expression and function of the ABL gene in human leukemias will be studied. Interactions of ABL with other oncogenes and growth factor systems will be evaluated in culture and animal models to understand the progression of human chronic myelogenous leukemia to the blast crisis phase. Continued studies on the pathobiology of Ph positive leukemias in the human host and their response to treatment will be done. We will modify current polymerase chain reaction technologies to allow more quantitative evaluation of residual tumor burden and its clinical implications, especially in the post-bone-marrow-transplant setting. The growth characteristics of populations of human chronic myelogenous leukemia cells at different stages of disease progression will be evaluated in the SCID mouse model. Interactions between hematopoietic elements and bone marrow derived stromal elements will be tested in a manner that recapitulates the architecture of marrow. We hope to be able to effectively grow the stem cells of this leukemia in this special environment, and potentially learn much about the nature of normal and abnormal stem cell growth regulation.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Cancer Institute (NCI)
Type
Unknown (R35)
Project #
5R35CA053867-07
Application #
2376854
Study Section
Special Emphasis Panel (SRC (88))
Project Start
1991-05-15
Project End
1998-02-28
Budget Start
1997-03-01
Budget End
1998-02-28
Support Year
7
Fiscal Year
1997
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of California Los Angeles
Department
Microbiology/Immun/Virology
Type
Schools of Arts and Sciences
DUNS #
119132785
City
Los Angeles
State
CA
Country
United States
Zip Code
90095
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