Damon Runyon Researchers

Meet Our Scientists
Yadira M. Soto-Feliciano, PhD

Pediatric acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has the lowest survival rate among all pediatric cancers. MLL gene rearrangements (MLL-r) occur in about 20% of children diagnosed with AML. This subtype of leukemia is exquisitely sensitive to inhibition of the interaction between MLL and the chromatin adaptor Menin. Dr. Soto-Feliciano is combining genetic, genomics, and mouse modeling approaches to identify factors that regulate the function of Menin in MLL-r and non-MLL-r leukemia. The identification of cellular mechanisms that mediate the response to Menin-MLL inhibitor-based therapies (already in pre-clinical studies), will inform us about the molecular mechanisms driving acute leukemia. She anticipates that the results of these experiments will provide a better understanding of gene expression programs and chromatin landscapes governing the leukemic state. In addition, this project has the potential to identify novel dependencies that can lead to development of novel drug targets for the treatment of pediatric leukemia.

Project title: "Dissecting the role of Menin in acute leukemia"
Institution: The Rockefeller University
Award Program: Sohn Fellow
Sponsor(s) / Mentor(s): C. David Allis, PhD
Cancer Type: Blood, Pediatric
Research Area: Epigenetics