RESEARCH GROUPS

Lab Block Level 3, Box 231

Addenbrooke’s Hospital

Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, UK

Telephone: +44 (0)1223 762655

E-Mail: sdt36@cam.ac.uk

Medical University of Vienna (MUV)

Währinger Gürtel,18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria

Vienna, Austria Tel:+43-1-40400-63900

Mobile: 0043-664-9697337

E-Mail: olaf.merkel@meduniwien.ac.at

Währinger Gürtel 18-20

1090 Vienna, Austria

Phone: +43 1 40400 63890

E-Mail: gerda.egger@meduniwien.ac.at

Lukas Kenner is board certified pathologist and an internationally acknowledged expert in comparative pathology. His research interest is the exploration of molecular mechanisms in neoplastic disease, their functional relevance for tumor progression and potential for clinical i8mprovements through diagnostic and prognostic measures. He has generated several transgenic mouse models for investigating the roles of AP-1 and PDGFRB in NPM-ALK transgenic mice.

Medical University of Vienna

Währinger Gürtel,18-20, A-1090 Vienna, Austria

phone: +43 1 40400 – 36500

E-Mail: lukas.kenner@meduniwien.ac.at

Assoc. Prof. Andrea Janíková is a head of Lymphoma working group of the Hematology and Oncology Department, University Hospital Brno. She is responsible for diagnostic and clinical management of lymphoma patients, clinical data and samples logistics. She is a board member of Czech Lymphoma Study Group, which is the national organization unifying all universities and covering more than 85% of all newly diagnosed systemic lymphomas in the Czech Republic.

Publication Link (AJ)

Kamenice 753/5

Brno – Bohunice 625 00, Czech Republic

Phone: +420532234622

E-mail: sarka.pospisilova@ceitec.muni.cz
E-mail: janikova.andrea@fnbrno.cz

Publication Link (LQF)

University Hospital Tuebingen

Eberhard-Karls-University

Liebermeisterstrasse 8

72076 Tuebingen, Germany

Phone: 0049/7071-29-82266

E-mail: falko.fend@med.uni-tuebingen.de
E-mail: leticia.quintanilla-fend@med.uni-tuebingen.de

Prof. Carlo Gambacorti-Passerini is a leading physician in the field of oncogenic fusion proteins and tyrosine kinase inhibitors. He has contributed significantly to the development of imatinib for the treatment of CML and successfully pioneered an ALK+ lymphoma patient therapy with ALK inhibitors. His research centers on identifying the molecular pathogenesis of hematological cancers using genome sequencing. He is interested in molecular mechanisms governing the transition from chronic phase to blast crisis in CML. In addition he is engaged in target validation of oncogenic fusion genes, structural characterization and screening of small-molecule inhibitors and new tyrosine kinase inhibitors to overcome therapy resistance in patients with ALK+ lymphomas.

20900 Monza, Italy

Phone: 0039 0392339553

E-mail: carlo.gambacorti@unimib.it

The research group of Pr Brousset explores the expression profiles and functions of microRNAs, snoRNAs and lncRNAs in hematological malignancies (including anaplastic large cell lymphoma) but also the interaction between non-coding RNA and RNA-binding proteins.

1) Role and regulation of autophagy in ALCL

Autophagy is an emerging cancer research field. Depending on the tumor context, it can harbor pro-survival or pro-death functions. Our research interest is to understand its status, role and regulation (in particular post-transcriptionnal regulation through microRNA and/or RNA-Binding proteins) in different ALK(+) primary tumors and cell lines. We specifically aim to: determine the role of autophagy, using classical autophagy assays, in ALCL, NSCLC and neuroblastoma cell lines and mouse models; test whether autophagy modulation can potentiate the efficacy of ALK therapies (targeted-, chemo- and immuno-therapies); investigate the regulation of autophagy by miRNAs and/or RNA-BPs.

Contacts:
Sylvie Giuriato, E-mail: sylvie.giuriato@inserm.fr
Estelle Espinos E-mail: estelle.espinos@inserm.fr

2) MicroRNAs and epigenetics

We focus on silencing of microRNAs by DNA methylation as mediators of drug resistance in NPM-ALK(+) ALCL. We have published that changes in microRNA expression and DNA methylation are causally involved in tumorigenesis of NPM-ALK(+) ALCL (Desjobert et al, Blood, 2011; Dejean et al, Leukemia, 2011). We hypothesize that hypomethylating drugs, alone or in combination with other agents, may benefit ALK(+) patients harboring tumors resistant to chemotherapy or to anti-ALK tyrosine kinase inhibitors (Hoareau-Aveilla, JCI, 2015). Using NPM-ALK(+) ALCL cell lines,  a transgenic mouse model of ALK dependent lymphoma (Giuriato et al, Blood, 2010), murine and patients NPM-ALK(+) xenograft models and primary tumor samples from NPM-ALK(+) ALCL patients with or without relapse, we aim to: define microRNA and DNA methylation signature-mediated drug resistance in ALK(+) ALCL; identify new oncogenic mechanisms and microRNA targets depending on epigenetic regulation and assess the clinical relevance of these alterations to propose new therapeutic strategy in resistant ALK(+) ALCL.

Contacts:
Fabienne Meggetto, E-mail: fabienne.meggetto@inserm.fr
Laurence Lamant, E-mail: lamant.l@chu-toulouse.fr

Publication Link (PB)

Team 7: RNA biology in hematological cancers

Oncopole de Toulouse, Entrée C,

2 avenue Hubert Curien

CS53717

31037 TOULOUSE Cedex 1 – FRANCE

phone: 0033-5-82-74-15-75

Charité University Medical School

Campus Virchow-Klinikum

13353 Berlin, Germany

Phone: 0049 30 94 06 – 28 63

E-mail: stephan.mathas@charite.de

• ALK-driven transformation with in vitro and in vivo models
• Mechanisms of chromosomal translocation formation in different tissues
• Cancer Immunotherapy of ALK-driven cancers

University of Torino

Via Santena, 7 – 10126 Torino, ITALY

Phone: +39 011.633.6861

E-mail: roberto.chiarle@unito.it

E-mail: claudia.voena@unito.it

Dept of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology

Justus-Liebig-University

Feulgenstr. 12

35392 Giessen

Phone: +49- (0) 641-985-43462 or -43400

E-mail: wilhelm.woessmann@paediat.med.uni-giessen.de
E-mail: Christine.Damm-Welk@paediat.med.uni-giessen.de

39, rue Camille Desmoulins

94 800 Villejuif

Phone: + 33 (0)1 42 11 50 05

E-mail: Laurence.brugieres@gustaveroussy.fr
E-mail: Veronique.MINARD@gustaveroussy.fr

Ruth Palmer has been working with ALK in the fruitfly Drosophila melanogaster since 1996. The laboratory is investigating ALK signal transduction with an interest in its role in developmental processes employing Drosophila melanogaster and mouse model systems. Our aim is to understand the importance and function of the ALK receptor tyrosine kinase during both normal and pathological developmental process.

Publication Link (RP)

413 90, Göteborg

Phone: +46 31 7863815

E-mail: bengt.hallberg@gu.se
E-mail: ruth.palmer@gu.se

Publication Link (LI)

University Medical Center Freiburg

Dept. of Hematology, Oncology and Stem Cell Transplantation

Hugstetter Str. 55

79106 Freiburg, Germany

Tel: 0761-270-34060

Fax: 0761-270-32060

E-Mail: Justus.Duyster@uniklinik-freiburg.de
E-Mail: lena.illert@uniklinik-freiburg.de

The main interest of Dr. Inghirami’s laboratory involves the molecular and biological characterization of PTCL, in particular, Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma (ALCL). A major effort has been devoted to the development of innovative in vitro and in vivo models to test new compounds and preclinical protocols.The development of a functional genomics laboratory and more recently of a hPDT mouse facility led to the discovery of the several molecular mechanisms leading to Anaplastic Lymphoma Kinase – driven lymphomagenesis and to the discovery of targets which could be explored as sensitive molecules for innovative tailored therapies. Moreover, the transcriptional characterization of a large panel of PTCL has provided novel insights to the origin of ALCL and a diagnostic classifier for routine clinical analyses. Molecular cytogenetic analyses have recently identified a high-risk group of patients, supporting the rationale for the implementation of tailored up – front therapy for naive ALCL patients.

Hospital S. Giovanni Battista

Università di Torino

Via Santena 7, 10126 Torino, ITALY

phone: +39 011 633 4623

Email: giorgio.inghirami@unito.it

525 East 68th Street, Starr Pavilion, 715
New York, NY 10065
P: (212) 746-2442 |

E-Mail: ggi9001@med.cornell.edu

• NPM-ALK signalling
• AP-1 transcription factors in anaplastic large cell lymphoma oncogenesis
• mTOR pathway in lymphomagenesis and leukemogenesis
• Re-activation of p53 as a therapeutic target in lymphomas

Senior Consultant Hematopathologist

Karolinska University Hospital, Solna, Sweden

Adjunct Professor of Pathology

Karolinska Institutet, Solna, Sweden

Adjunct Professor of Hematopathology

The University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center,

Houston, TX, USA

Phone (office) +46-851776162

Mobile: +46+708517667
E-Mail: georgios.rassidakis@ki.se

georgios.rassidakis@sll.se