Genetic changes in CLL cells

New technique increases genetic knowledge 

Chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) is the most common adult leukaemia in western countries. However, its cause is still poorly understood, there are no proven cures and it has a highly variable clinical course where some patients die within a few months of diagnosis, while others do not. In treatment terms, we need to know which patients will need intensive treatment early and which can be spared unnecessary treatment.

Associate Professor Christine Morris is the present leader of the Cancer Genetics Research Group at the Christchurch School of Medicine.  Together with PhD student So Young Moon, and Clinical Haematologist Dr Peter Ganly, she is researching genetic changes in CLL cells. These changes are important for diagnosis and can also tell us a great deal about how the leukaemia will respond to different types of treatment.

PhD student So Young Moon in the lab.Her team have established, and are now applying, a powerful new technique called Array Comparative Genomic Hybridisation (Array CGH) that allows them to look at the DNA of CLL cells in great detail. 

This is expensive, time-consuming research and, in addition to experimental bench work, involves use of specialised computer software and constant reference to the large repositories of human genetic information accessible freely online. 

The changes So Young Moon has identified are tiny and detailed analysis is needed to distinguish them among the 30,000 or more genes that make up the human genome.  The team’s research so far has revealed a number of genetic changes that have not been identified previously.

These changes may, in future, contribute towards improving individual patient management.  However, they must first be shown to be true, and with the LBF’s funding it will now be possible to validate some of the findings.

How will the patient benefit?
The more we know about leukaemia genetics, the more accurate we can be with diagnosis, prognosis, treatment options, the development of new drugs and monitoring treatment results.