Immune cell signalling during the transformation of CLL to Richter Syndrome (P02)

• Subject Area: Cell Biology ; Hematology, Oncology ; Immunology
• Term: from 2018 to 2023
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 360372040

In contrast to the significant advances in targeted therapy for CLL, its transformation to an aggressive lymphoma, Richter Syndrome (RS), cannot be prevented by any current therapy, and to date no effective standard treatments for RS exist. During the previous funding period, we showed that induction of aberrant AKT signalling in CLL leads to cell death. However, constitutive PI3K/AKT signalling in CLL can also promote the transformation to RS. We will now examine how CLL cells adapt to aberrant AKT signalling or MYC overexpression, a frequent event during transformation, by investigating cell intrinsic alterations, metabolic adaptations, and changes within the immune cell microenvironment.

• DFG Programme: Collaborative Research Centres
• Subproject of: SFB 1335: Aberrant Immune Signals in Cancer
• Applicant Institution: Technische Universität München (TUM)
• Project Head: Dr. Maike Buchner