Francine Garrett-Bakelman, M.D., Ph.D.

Research

The Garrett-Bakelman lab will determine the role of the CEBPD protein on disease relapse in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). AML is the most common form of acute leukemia in adults and despite recent advances, prognosis declines with age, and the majority of the patients will experience relapse and succumb to the disease. Based on gene expression analyses of AML patient specimens, I found that the expression of over 900 different genes fluctuated up or down during the course of the disease. Notably, CEBPD, a transcription factor that regulates the expression of other genes, was made at a lower level during disease progression in many patients and I propose that the downregulation of CEBPD may be involved in helping AML cells survive and/or resist therapy. Combining techniques in gene sequencing and cell biology, my lab is seeking to uncover how the level of CEPBD is modulated during relapse, and which biological pathways are affected upon CEBPD depletion. The resulting studies will provide newfound insight on the role of CEBPD in AML relapse and help pinpoint potential therapeutic targets that could improve clinical outcomes for patients.