Helen Heslop, M.D. Baylor College of Medicine

BIOLOGY

Evaluating and targeting of EBV Antigen Expression in Richter's Syndrome

Grant awarded in 2009

Abstract:

Up to 10% of patients with CLL/SLL may develop a type of lymphoma which is known as Richter transformation. This may be due to either changes in the original CLL cells or development of a completely new lymphoma. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), which also causes infectious mononucleosis, has been reported as a possible initiating factor but this has yet to be conclusively shown.

In this grant we will determine whether EBV is involved in Richter transformation by examining tumor samples to determine whether they express different proteins made by EBV. Once we have defined which combination of EBV proteins are expressed, we will develop a therapy to specifically target these proteins using killer T-cells. We have shown that it is possible to grow killer T-cells specific for EBV from normal individuals and patients with some types of lymphoma. In this proposal we aim to develop a similar customized therapy for CLL patients with Richter transformation that will target the particular EBV proteins expressed on tumor cells.