How inflammation and the bone marrow environment help MDM4 drive AML
Project 2: Microenvironmental and inflammatory mechanisms in MDM4-driven AML pathogenesis.
This project looks at whether too much MDM4 and nearby inflammation let early abnormal blood stem cells grow and turn into acute myeloid leukemia in people with MDS or age-related clonal changes.
Quick facts
| Grant type | P01 program project |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Columbia University Health Sciences NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (New York, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11181652 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
If you take part, researchers will study blood and bone marrow samples from patients and use mouse models to see how MDM4 overexpression changes pre-leukemic stem cells. They will profile individual cells using methods like CITE-seq to map inflammatory signals and microenvironment interactions. The team will compare samples from people with MDS, ARCH, and AML to trace which pre-leukemic clones expand and drive progression. The work aims to reveal steps that could be blocked to prevent relapse or progression to full leukemia.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: People with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), age-related clonal hematopoiesis (ARCH), or acute myeloid leukemia (AML), especially those whose samples show high MDM4, would be most relevant to this work.
Not a fit: People with cancers unrelated to blood-forming (hematologic) diseases or without evidence of MDM4-driven disease are unlikely to see direct benefit from this project.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify targets or strategies to stop early pre-leukemic cells from progressing to AML and lower the risk of relapse.
How similar studies have performed: Prior laboratory and patient-data studies showed MDM4 is commonly overexpressed and can promote progression in model systems, but translating targeting of this pathway into patient therapies remains largely untested.
Where this research is happening
New York, United States
- Columbia University Health Sciences — New York, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Steidl, Ulrich — Columbia University Health Sciences
- Study coordinator: Steidl, Ulrich
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.