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J Med Oncl Ther 2017 Volume 2 | Issue 3
allied
academies
International Conference on
Oncology and Cancer Therapeutics
October 30- November 01, 2017 | Chicago, USA
A
cute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a lethal blood cancer. The
majority of AML patients experience a recurrence of their
cancer after initial treatment and eventually die from their
disease. Clinical evidence has supported the important role
of leukemic stem cells (LSCs) in the high relapse rate of AML
patients. The ability for self-renewal and drug resistance are
fundamental properties of LSCs that drive disease progression
and relapse. Identification of pathways and their molecular
components essential for the regulation of abnormally acquired
stem cell-like properties is a prerequisite for understanding the
underlying mechanisms of oncogenesis and designing effective
anticancer therapeutic strategies. G protein-coupled receptors
have been implicated in playing critical roles inmultiple cancers,
where specific members of this family influence self-renewal
and tumorigenesis, largely through activation of β-catenin
signaling. We have recently reported an essential role for G
protein-coupled receptor 84 (GPR84) in regulating oncogenic
β-catenin signaling and in maintaining LSC properties in AML.
Inhibition of specific G protein-coupled receptor signaling
impairs LSC self-renewal, underlining its therapeutic value in
developing novel LSC-targeted therapies for AML treatment.
Speaker Biography
Jenny Y Wang is Head of the Cancer and Stem Cell Laboratory at the University of
New South Wales, Sydney, Australia. She received her PhD at Macquarie University
in Australia and undertook Post-doctoral research in Leukemia Stem Cell Biology
(2005-2011) at Children’s Hospital Boston, Harvard Medical School. She has returned
to Australia in 2011 and has established her independent research laboratory. The
main research focus of her lab is to develop novel therapeutic strategies specifically
targeting leukemic stem cells that are now believed to be the root cause for treatment
failure and relapse in leukemia.
e:
JWang@ccia.org.auJenny Y Wang
University of New South Wales, Australia
New therapeutic strategies for targeting leukemia stem cells