Damon Runyon Researchers

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is an aggressive blood cancer, diagnosed in about 20,000 people in the U.S. each year. New targeted therapies have greatly expanded treatment options, particularly for older adults who cannot tolerate chemotherapy, but despite these advances, most patients with AML will experience relapse. Research has identified that mutations in the RAS signaling pathway are associated with relapse after targeted therapies. Dr. Anandappa aims to establish a role for RAS inhibitors in treating AML and elucidate the role of inflammation in RAS-mutated AML. She will use CRISPR to study over 300 genes involved in inflammatory signaling and determine if blocking them will increase response to treatment with a RAS inhibitor. The outcomes of this project will ultimately guide the design of combination regimens for the treatment of RAS-mutated AML.