Project Title: Investigation of the chemokine receptors CCR1 and CCR2 and EBV infection aimed on disclosure of new markers that can predict the high risk for progression of chronic lymphocytic leukemia

Project No: lzp- 2018/1-0156

Period: 1st November 2018 – 31 October 2021

Project costs: 300 000 EUR

Principle Investigator: Dr. Biol., PhD Med. Irina Holodņuka (Rīga Stradiņš University)

Collaboration: Dr. biol. Ainārs Leončiks (Latvian Biomedical Research and Study Centre)

Summary:

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), the most common form of leukemia in adults, can be divided into two main types: indolent slowly-progressing (low-risk) and aggressive rapidly-progressing (high-risk) disease. Known prognostic factors that can predict the high risk for CLL progression don’t identify all cases at risk or are laborious in performing in a routine laboratory diagnostic.

The present project is based on our previous results and aimed on validation of new putative prognostic markers, the cell-surface chemokine receptors CCR1 and CCR2. The aim of the project is to validate the CCR1/CCR2 cell-surface expression as a reliable predictor of high-risk progression in CLL patients at presentation and to evaluate it association with known prognostic factors including IGHV mutational status and EBV DNA load.

The project research is focused on disclosure of new biomarkers for personalized early diagnosis of chronic lymphocytic leukemia and the individualized selection of effective treatment that allow significantly reduce and even avoid for years the therapy- and disease-related complications.