The research center Applied Medicine (CIMA ) of the University of Navarra and the National Institute for Health and Medical research (INSERM) of Toulouse have launched a agreement of research to fight against acute lymphoblastic leukemia. development The project CITTIL (Cooperation for Trans-Pyrenean research in Innovative Leukemia Therapy) is financed by the European Regional Fund (ERDF) of the European Union with 1.2 million euros.

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia is the most frequent cancer in children and one of the most common among hematological tumors in adults subject . Despite advances with new chemotherapy formulations, more than 20% of children and 60% of adults die after relapse.

"Progress in the treatment of this disease will depend on the knowledge of its mechanisms, as well as the causes of resistance to established therapies. In this sense, the lines of research of project CITTIL focus on studying genetic and epigenetic factors, and on the development of new drugs based on the mechanisms involved in the disease", explain Dr. Xabier Agirre and Dr. Felipe Prósper, from laboratory of Myeloproliferative Syndromes of CIMA.

According to Dr. José A. Martínez Climent, researcher of the laboratory of Molecular Oncology at CIMA, "the results obtained so far indicate that genetic and epigenetic alterations are key to the prognosis of the disease and, in addition, allow predicting the response to relatively selective treatments".

Clinical application

Both CIMA and INSERM have extensive experience in the study of acute lymphoblastic leukemia. "In addition, the two groups combine our research work with our clinical work (at the Clínica Universidad de Navarra and at the Purpan Hospital in Toulouse, respectively). In this way, once new mechanisms of development of the disease are determined and new treatments are designed, clinical programs of study can be initiated in patients, which adds translational interest to project", acknowledge the researchers at CIMA.