Summary of the Research Program
In recent years, there has been enormous progress in characterizing genetic drivers in leukemogenesis, followed by the successful clinical development of molecular therapies. Collaborative Research Center (CRC) 1074 has anticipated and accompanied this development from the very beginning. CRC 1074 has aimed at bridging basic, translational and (pre)clinical research in the field of leukemia, focusing on translating insights into the pathogenesis of acute myeloid leukemia (AML), acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), and chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) into new therapies.
The CRC 1074 is built upon one of the central research themes of ҹ̽ and a long-standing tradition in hematology with one of the first CRCs of the DFG (“Zellsystem-Physiologie”) addressing issues of normal and aberrant hematopoiesis and the first allogeneic hematopoietic-cell transplantations, in both children and adults, performed in Germany. CRC 1074 is also based on most visible clinical research in leukemia and unique biobanks for AML and CLL, belonging to the largest clinically and molecularly annotated collections worldwide. To this end, the close association of CRC 1074 with clinical study groups such as the German AML Study Group (AMLSG) and the German CLL Study Group (DCLLSG) as well as the Pediatric I-BFM group has been a major asset. The contribution of CRC 1074 to the genetic characterization and the development of novel therapies for acute and chronic leukemias is highlighted by several seminal publications. Also, CRC 1074 groups have made major contributions to preclinical models of leukemia and the characterization of normal and aberrant development in hematopoesis.
In this third funding period, CRC 1074 shall again undergo dynamic changes by the integration of new projects and by implementing new technologies, for example taking into account developments in single-cell sequencing technology and epigenetic profiling. The Steering Committee succeeded in integrating two research groups from the German Cancer Research Center in Heidelberg, and one group from Charité University Medicine Berlin, based on their specific expertise and on already long-standing collaborations.
Thus, CRC 1074 provides a superb opportunity to realize the concept of translational research in acute and chronic leukemias. We expect that this third funding period will further successfully strengthen the international visibility of leukemia research at ҹ̽ and continue to provide major scientific contributions. The invaluable resources of CRC 1074 will facilitate translating research findings into clinical practice and ultimately improve care of patients with leukemia.