This thesis focuses on acute myeloid leukemia, an aggressive form of blood cancer in which immature blood cells keep growing and fail to develop into healthy blood cells. AML differs strongly between patients, which makes treatment difficult. This research investigated how leukemia cells control the activity of their genes and whether these control systems reveal new targets for rational therapy. The research showed that different AML subtypes depend on different gene-control programs. In one subtype, leukemia cells strongly depended on HMX3, a gene that healthy blood cells do not use. Reducing HMX3 activity stopped leukemia cells from dividing and pushed them to mature cells, suggesting that HMX3 may serve as a promising target for future treatment development. The research identified previously unknown RNA molecules that may help classify AML patients or predict treatment responses. Future research should determine whether these newly identified leukemia-specific vulnerabilities can contribute to precise and effective therapies.
Saioa Arza Apalategi was born on 5 March 1993 in Ataun, Basque Country. She studied Biotechnology in Barcelona and obtained a master’s degree at Wageningen University. In 2018, she started her PhD at Radboud university medical center in the field of molecular hemato-oncology. She now works as Product Manager in the Global Regulatory Affairs department at MSD.