Lynne V. Abruzzo, M.D., Ph.D. University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center

THERAPY/ PROGNOSTIC

Validation of Prognostic Biomarkers in CLL

Update:

Recent advances in molecular biology have allowed researchers to identify and measure many genes that distinguish different types of cancer cells from their normal counterparts. In studies of CLL, researchers have identified hundreds of genes that are expressed at different levels in patients with slowly progressing CLL compared to those with aggressive CLL. We have re-analyzed the data from several of these studies using new statistical tests to identify genes that may help predict whether a patient will have slowly progressing or aggressive CLL.

Our preliminary results suggest that it is possible to predict a patient's prognosis by measuring the levels of only a few of these genes. We have used a relatively new laboratory technique, quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (QRT-PCR) assay, which measures gene expression levels rapidly and accurately. We also use new microfluidics technology to perform the QRT-PCR assays. This technology miniaturizes the QRT-PCR assay, so that we can measure many genes simultaneously using only a small amount of blood. Our goal has been to evaluate the performance of our test on a much larger set of samples; we are in the process of evaluating these data. If we are able to validate our preliminary results, then we will have developed a rapid and reliable blood test to predict which patients will require treatment soon after they learn that they have CLL, and which patients may never require treatment.