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Dr. Chen Zhao receives a Pilot Grant Award from the Lymphoma SPORE

Dr. Chen Zhao

Dr. Zhao was awarded a Pilot Grant Award from the Lymphoma SPORE Developmental Research Program at the University of Iowa and Mayo Clinic. The grant, entitled Synergy of NF-κB and Notch signaling in B cell lymphomatous transformation and B cell plasticity, will study the novel hypothesis that concurrent activation of both Notch and NF-κB signaling in committed CD19+ B cells is sufficient to induce B cell lymphomatous transformation and B-myeloid conversion. Given the fact that NF-κB/Notch signaling is generally activated in most of the common B cell lymphomas, all of which have the capacity to develop clonally related myeloid neoplasms, the proposed studies may uncover a shared mechanism underlying B-myeloid conversion, an uncommon but fatal event. His proposed project should not only provide insights into lymphomatous transformation and B cell plasticity, but also the possibility of new therapeutic options. The total funding for this award is $50,000 and the project period is July 1, 2017 to June 30, 2018.