Hope gained momentum at Versiti Blood Research Institute (VBRI) last month as the Pulikkan Lab, led by John A. Pulikkan, PhD, secured a coveted R01 grant from the National Institutes of Health. This significant funding will advance groundbreaking research into new treatment approaches for acute myeloid leukemia (AML), a devastating blood cancer.

The research focuses on AML with chromosome inversion 16, a genetic characteristic found in approximately 10% of AML cases. By understanding how these cancer cells survive and identifying their unique vulnerabilities, Pulikkan's work aims to deliver new hope to patients facing limited treatment options.

"This discovery represents a potential turning point for patients with specific forms of AML," Pulikkan explains. "By targeting the fundamental processes that cancer cells depend on for survival, we're working toward therapies that could be more effective and less toxic than current options."