Pediatrics

E-mail: nikolaus.trede@hci.utah.edu
Address: 2000 Circle of Hope
Phone: 585-0199

The TC3 Zebrafish Line, A Model of Pediatric T Cell Leukemia

We have made great strides in the treatment of pediatric T cell leukemia (T-ALL); however, currently one in four children diagnosed with T-ALL will still die from the disease. The newest generation of treatment protocols for leukemias are incorporating genetically-based therapies. Thus, it is vital that we identify new genes involved in T-ALL to improve are ability to treat this disease. From a large mutagenesis screen, we have identified a mutant line of zebrafish prone to T cell leukemia. These animals have been made transgenic causing T cells to fluoresce green, and the expanded T cell population is readily apparent via in vivo fluorescent microscopy of diseased fish. Our preliminary results indicate that this line serves as an excellent model of pediatric T-ALL. In this proposal we will continue to characterize the disease seen in the TC3 line. Specifically, we will interrogate the clonality of the expanded T cell population, and its expression profile. These results will allow for better comparisons with the human disease. Finally, we will continue our progress towards mapping the T-ALL causative gene in the TC3 line.

1/2008