The Molecular Genetics Lab under the leadership of Dr. Cazzaniga is part of Tettamanti Foundation, which is an integrated facility dedicated to research, treatment and cure of childhood leukemia.

The lab deals with understanding the molecular basis of the onset of the childhood leukemias, the heterogeneity of response to therapy and the identification of potential targets for targeted therapies.

The research team is working on the following complementary projects:
- the studies related to the molecular characterization of pediatric leukemia through the identification and functional analysis of chromosomal translocations (in particular the TEL; PAX5 and MLL genes), to identify new therapies aimed at leukemic lesions;
- the study of the natural evolution of leukemia, from genetic predisposition to prenatal origin, the pre-leukemic phase and clonal heterogeneity;
- molecular monitoring of minimal residual disease, identification of new prognostic factors and their clinical application (personalized medicine).

The group has recently focused their attention on new evidence regarding the possible genetic predisposition to leukemias. Some forms of leukemia can arise in an aberrant genetic context, where genetic variants or syndromes can be associated at least in part with an increased risk of contracting the disease. The interest in understanding the complexity of the predisposition and the pre-leukemic phase can lead to a further understanding of the natural history of the disease, with the prospect of being able to prevent it in the near future.

Follow our posts by leading researchers from Dr. Cazzaniga's team for novel insights into the treatment and cure of pediatric leukemia.