Study of the regulation of quiescence and its role in the response to chemotherapy in AML

Clément Larrue

Leukemic stem cells (LSCs) possess similar features as hematopoietic stem cells (HCSs) and are therefore able to initiate AML. Moreover, the presence of LSCs after treatment is associated with a higher risk of relapse. This is due to their self-renewal properties and their dormancy state that confer resistance to therapies. Therefore, targeting the dormant subset of LSCs may represent a promising strategy for eradicating residual disease and preventing relapse in AML. Thanks to original molecular tools to identify and track dormant cells in PDX models in vivo, associated with loss of functions screening and a close collaboration with the IUCT-Oncopole Hematology service, we study and will identify novel vulnerabilities of dormant AML cells to eliminate this leukemic subpopulation and prevent or at least delay relapses.