Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) includes a number of aggressive T and B cell lymphomas that predominantly affect children. For example, anaplastic large cell lymphoma is a peripheral T-NHL that constitutes 40% of NHL in children. Similarly, Burkitt lymphoma, a B-NHL, accounts for 30% of all childhood lymphoma. Most patients respond well to treatment using standard chemotherapy. However, a majority often relapse and require more intense therapy, putting these patients in jeopardy for developing toxic side effects should the cancer go back into remission. This project aims to test the efficacy of novel splice-switching oligonucleotides in blocking the pro-cancerous functions of specific genes in ly...

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Non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL) includes a number of aggressive T and B cell lymphomas that predominantly affect children. For example, anaplastic large cell lymphoma is a peripheral T-NHL that constitutes 40% of NHL in children. Similarly, Burkitt lymphoma, a B-NHL, accounts for 30% of all childhood lymphoma. Most patients respond well to treatment using standard chemotherapy. However, a majority often relapse and require more intense therapy, putting these patients in jeopardy for developing toxic side effects should the cancer go back into remission. This project aims to test the efficacy of novel splice-switching oligonucleotides in blocking the pro-cancerous functions of specific genes in lymphoid malignancies. Our findings will be highly significant because splice-switching oligos are non-toxic, precise, long-lasting and FDA approved. Importantly, these oligos have been used to successfully treat children with spinal muscular atrophy. Therefore, our findings may provide less toxic and more precise anti-cancer therapies for childhood lymphoid cancers.

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