Lymphoid Development & Malignancy

Studying the unique biology of B and T cells to elucidate the pathogenesis and improve the treatment of lymphoid leukemia and lymphoma.

Leader:  Riccardo Dalla-Favera, MD

Program Meeting Schedule

Lymphoid leukemia and lymphomas are a highly varied group of cancers that start in the lymphoid tissues that orchestrate immune responses. During their normal development in these tissues, the B and T lymphocytes undergo rearrangement and mutation of antigen-receptor genes. This unusual process lets them target specific foreign substances, but the alteration of the genetic material also opens the door for cancer.

Members of the Lymphoid Development and Malignancy Program study the unique biology of B and T cells and aim to see how it changes in acute lymphoblastic leukemia and B cell lymphoma. They explore these phenomena by applying advanced genomics and bioinformatics approaches, combined with in-vivo studies in genetically engineered mouse models. These investigations are leading to the identification of novel therapeutic targets for treatment, which are then tested in pre-clinical and clinical trials.

Major Themes

Members of the program represent seven basic-science departments, two clinical department, and one department at Weill-Cornell Medical Center, whose research relates to the following themes:

• B- and T-lymphocyte development — exploring the cellular and molecular mechanisms regulating normal lymphoid development
• Pathogenesis of T-acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia (T-ALL) and B-Cell Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma (B-NHL) — identifying the genes altered in these diseases and their normal and pathologic function
• Experimental therapeutics — developing new drugs and new drug combinations for the targeted treatment of T-ALL and B-NHL

The Program also hosts major collaborative activities including the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Specialized Center for Lymphoma Research, and the National Center for Multi-scale Study of Cellular Networks.