HOX genes dysregulation in ALL

The dysregulation of HOX genes is associated with several malignancies, including acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Scott Armstrong, MD, PhD, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA, discusses HOX genes dysregulation in ALL. Over the past two decades, research has been conducted to understand how those genes are inappropriately expressed in leukemias with the goal of using that information to develop potential therapeutics to reverse that gene expression. Small molecules that disrupt the molecular mechanisms that drive the expression of the HOX genes have been developed. Prof. Armstrong emphasizes that a few of those molecules have moved into Phase I clinical trials, and early clinical data has been recently published. This interview took place during the 2021 European School of Hematology (ESH) 2nd Translational Research Conference on Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia.