DYRK1A is a novel target in B-cell leukemia

Pre-B cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a relatively common childhood cancer, which has an increased incidence in children with Down syndrome. Although the majority of children with B-ALL survive, they suffer many debilitating side effects from the treatment, and in some cases the disease returns. We are performing experiments to identify new drug targets, such as a protein named DYRK1A, which control the activity and level of other important proteins. In addition, we are testing whether molecules that block the activity of DYRK1A show anti-leukemia activity with the goal of bringing these drugs to clinical trials.