Leukemia niche – Hong Qian group

Our research

The main challenge for successful treatment of myeloid malignancies, particularly, acute myeloid leukemia (AML) has been drug resistance resulting in treatment failure, relapse and leukemia progression, which ultimately leads to death. Thus, there is a great need for more effective therapies. Recent studies have suggested that the drug resistance is attributed to the persistence of leukemia-initiating stem cells (LSCs) that are protected by their microenvironment, the so-called niche, in bone marrow (BM). Thus, targeting the BM niche may offer new therapeutic opportunities to improve the efficacy of current therapy for leukemia. However, so far, we have limited knowledge about the critical molecular pathways mediating the protective interactions of LSCs with their niches in the BM and tissues outside BM, so-called extramedullary organs including skin and spleen. 

The primary aim of our research is to understand the role of leukemia niche in the development and treatment response of myeloid malignancies including CML and AML. The long-term goal is to identify new niche factors that can serve as novel therapeutic targets for more effective treatment of the diseases. We achieve this by using both primary patient samples and mouse models to characterize bone marrow mesenchymal niche with the help of advanced techniques including multi-colour flow cytometry, RNA-sequencing, confocal imaging, and in vivo fate-mapping. The functional and therapeutic impact of the niche factors on LSCs is tested by gene-editing, mouse models including patient-derived xenograft (PDX) mouse model, digital PCR, in vitro co-culture with mesenchymal stem cells (MSC) which are known to be critical for hematopoiesis. We will do this in collaboration with national and international experts in the field of stem cell niche and leukemia. We hope to translate the research findings into clinic in collaboration with multiple haematologists/scientists in Nordic countries.

While putting great efforts to uncover the niche contribution to myeloid leukemia, the group also aims to build a nourishing educational niche for all the team members to grow.

• Wallenberg Institutet for Regenerative Medicine (WIRM).
• Karolinska Institutet Research foundation (KI fonder).
• KI Funding for Doctoral Education (KID funding).
• The Swedish Cancer Society (Cancerfonden).
• The Swedish Research Council (Vetenskapsrådet).
• The Swedish Childhood Cancer Society (Barncancerfonden).
• Radiumhemmets Forskningsfonder (The Cancer Research Foundations of Radiumhemmet).
• Felix Mindus bidrag till leukemiforskningen.
• Dr. Åke Olsson Foundation for hematological research.
• Stiftelsen Clas Groschinskys Minnesfond.
• The Incyte Nordic Grant for Hematological Research.
• The Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation (KAW), PI: Qiang Pan-Hammarström, Co-PI: Petter Brodin, Lennart Hammarström, Hong Qian.
• The Blue Sky Research Grant for Innovative Cancer Research.