Abdelillah Maarad

Combinatorial epigenetic therapies to treat B-cell lymphomas

The mutation of Tet2 is a frequently observed genetic alteration in hematopoietic stem cells. It is found in Germinal Cells which cause B-cell lymphomas, a type of cancer that affects the immune system's cells called B lymphocytes. Tet2 is a gene that codes for an enzyme involved in gene expression regulation, which is methylation. When mutated, Tet2 can disrupt the process of differentiation and maturation of B lymphocytes, thereby promoting the development of lymphomas.

The implication of Tet2 mutation in B-cell lymphomas has significant clinical implications. Patients with B-cell lymphomas with a Tet2 mutation may exhibit distinct clinical characteristics, such as a more aggressive disease progression or resistance to conventional treatments. Research is underway to develop treatments that specifically target B-cell lymphomas with a Tet2 mutation.

During the internship, we focus on the effect of targeting DNA methylation and histone acetylation in lymphoma cells, with special interest in genes whose expression is altered compared to normal B cells due to the mutation of Tet2.