Cellular and genetic drivers of Cutaneous γδ T-cell lymphomas (PCGDTL)
Paola Aguilar Neuville
Northwestern
Project Term: July 1, 2024 - June 30, 2025
Primary cutaneous γδ T-cell lymphoma (PCGDTL) is a rare type of lymphoma caused by the rare types of T-cells called γδ T-cells (most T cells in our body in αβ T-cells). The disease usually shows symptoms in the skin, thus it is also considered a rare type of skin cancer. The disease is very aggressive. After diagnosis patients may die within 3 months. Only about 10% patients are alive after 5 years. However, little is known about the disease. For the last two decades, most knowledge has been generated with a handful of patient samples. More research is needed, which may lead to discovery of new treatments for PCGDTL patients.
Primary cutaneous γδ T-cell lymphoma (PCGDTL) is a rare type of lymphoma caused by the rare types of T-cells called γδ T-cells (most T cells in our body in αβ T-cells). The disease usually shows symptoms in the skin, thus it is also considered a rare type of skin cancer. The disease is very aggressive. After diagnosis patients may die within 3 months. Only about 10% patients are alive after 5 years. However, little is known about the disease. For the last two decades, most knowledge has been generated with a handful of patient samples. More research is needed, which may lead to discovery of new treatments for PCGDTL patients. Dr. Choi’s lab at the Northwestern University is one of the leaders in understanding PCGDTL. His lab has a collection of more than two hundred patient samples.
Paola will work in Dr. Choi’s lab using cutting edge technologies to
- identify mutations that are unique for PCGDTL and subtypes of PCGDTL
- discover biomarkers to identify PCGDTL patients among patients diagnosed by dermatologists as mycosis fungoides so that these patients can get the more appropriate treatment
- the role of inflammation in this disease and others.