1. Challenging old dogmas: improved diagnostics and tailored therapy by unraveling the biology of acute leukemia in children
© Eline, 8 years

2. Acute lymphoblastic leukemia in children
Incidence in the Netherlands: 1 : 1500 children
Prognostic: type of leukemia
Chemotherapy includes 14 drugs:
80% cure rate
However:
75% of recurrent disease not predicted by type of leukemia
70% of adult survivors suffers severe side-effects

3. Veni-Vidi-Vici of leukemia research
Cellular drug resistance
Drs. Den Boer, PhD program
Genetics and Biology
Dr. Den Boer, junior/senior post-doc
Biology and microenvironment
Prof.dr. Den Boer, research program

4. Challenging old dogmas
Dogma 1: Treatment directed by type of leukemia
New: Use biology of leukemia to target treatment
Example: TNK1 in TELAML1-positive leukemia

5. Challenging old dogmas
Dogma 2: Use drugs that only kill leukemia cells
New: Treat both leukemia and its nurturing mesenchymal cells
Example: Mesenchyme of leukemia patient is aberrant
Expression in mesenchyme
Secretion by mesenchyme

6. Challenging old dogmas
Factor X
14 drugs
leukemia
Unique properties
Leukemia cells
mesenchyme
present
future
1 + 1 > 2