RedTalks #2 Saison 3: Targeting the Common Progenitor Cell to Cure Follicular Lymphoma

Speaker : 

• Pr. Jude FitzgibbonVice President in Haematology Discovery at AstraZeneca

Publications :

• KDM5 inhibition offers a novel therapeutic strategy for the treatment of KMT2D mutant lymphomas
• Follicular lymphoma
• Recurrent mTORC1-activating RRAGC mutations in follicular lymphoma

 Moderators :

• Dr. Sandrine RoullandTeam leader of the Genomic Instability and Human Hemopathies at the CIML (Marseille)
• Pr. Oliver WeigertAttending Physician | Hematology & Medical Oncology at the LMU Hospital Munich and Professor for Translational Lymphoma Research at Laboratory for Experimental Leukemia – und Lymphoma-Research (ELLF)

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We are delighted to welcome Pr. Jude Fitzgibbon, Vice President in Haematology Discovery at AstraZeneca

Professor Fitzgibbon’s work focusses on Follicular Lymphoma. With his team, they were the first to discover that cancer cells from patients with follicular lymphoma frequently have genetic faults which change the activity of other genes, switching them on or off. Such a change in gene activity is known as “epigenetic”

While the disease is considered incurable, tumours are chemo-sensitive, with many patients experiencing several episodes of relapse prior to the disease becoming refractory to treatment. A historical policy of repeat biopsy has allowed the group to trace the genetic changes in these tumours over time uncovering a highly complex pattern of tumour evolution and actionable gene mutations.

Professor Fitzgibbon and his team collect patients’ samples to characterize cancer-causing genetic mutation and use this information to guide lab studies in which the researchers test drugs targeting those faulty epigenetic systems. Ultimately, Professor Fitzgibbon hopes to glean enough information to be able to design clinical trials in which patients with follicular lymphoma are given drugs tailored to their specific genetic faults, making treatment kinder and more effective.

Pr. Fitzgibbon talk will reflect his research programme at the Barts Cancer Institute, Queen Mary University of London.

Last but not least, we are also pleased to welcome great moderators: Dr. Sandrine Roulland, team leader of the Genomic Instability and Human Hemopathies at the CMIL (Marseille) and Pr. Oliver Weigert, Attending Physician at the LMU Hospital Munich in Hematology & Medical Oncology and Professor for Translational Lymphoma Research at Laboratory for Experimental Leukemia- und Lymphoma-Research (ELLF).

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