Killing Cancer Cells by Activating the Cellular Intrinsic Nuclear Loss Program

A major problem in leukemia treatment is the rise of drug-resistant mutations in the genome of cancer cells, which makes many well-designed cancer drugs ineffective over time. To solve this critical issue, here, we will develop a novel method of killing leukemia cells by inducing them to expel their nuclei.

Research Focus: Leukemias

Year 1 Progress Report: 

In the first year, this grant allowed us to recruited a talented Minnesotan student to my lab. We have made planned progress in constructing the CRISPR library for dissecting the genetic programs controlling the nuclear loss in mammalian cells. This information can be potentially used to kill leukemia cells.