The Ferraro Lab led by Francesca Ferraro, MD, PhD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, WashU Division of Oncology has recently made significant contribution in understanding the role of MYC mutations in the development of Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML).
Dr. Ferraro’s lab publication, titled “Missense Mutations in Myc Box I Influence Nucleocytoplasmic Transport to Promote Leukemogenesis,” is featured in the August 15th, 2024 issue of the American Association for Cancer Research (AACR) journal.
“In this study, our lab explored how specific missense mutations in MYC Box I contribute to both the initiation and progression of AML. We discovered that these mutations confer gain-of-function proprieties, enhancing the suppression of apoptosis, promoting cell growth, and accelerating leukemogenesis compared to the wild-type MYC. This provides a mechanistic insight into why these mutations are selected for in MYC-driven cancers,” explains Dr. Ferraro.
The team also uncovered that these oncogenic effects are in part mediated through alterations in mRNA transport and stability, underscoring the critical role of MYC’s non-transcriptional functions in malignant transformation. The research highlights the potential for developing therapeutic strategies targeting these noncanonical MYC functions in hematopoietic malignancies and other MYC-driven cancers