Hematological Malignancies and Hematology Center

Hematologic cancers include lymphomas and leukemias, which affect the lymph nodes and bone marrow, respectively. Together, members of the Hematological Malignancies and Hematology Center conduct research to better understand how to prevent and treat these cancers. The goals include:

Identify new therapeutic targets to guide the future of treatment
Develop new treatments for hematologic malignancies
Identify inherited factors that increase the risk for hematologic malignancies
Conduct clinical trials to expand the treatment portfolio for patients

Division of Hematology Biorepository

The Division of Hematology Biorepository at Huntsman Cancer Institute serves the research community by providing access to the tools, resources, and expertise required to carry out research in hematology. We collect plasma, serum, viable mononuclear and CD34⁺ cells, among others, from a variety of myeloid and lymphoid diseases. Samples are highly annotated and custom clinical annotation is available to find samples that meet your criteria. We can collect fresh samples from your patient population of interest or work with you to determine which frozen samples will work best for your study. We have more than 60,000 vials, spanning 40 disease categories, with emphasis on myeloma, CLL, CML, CMML, and AML.

Additionally, we work with clinical investigators to conduct laboratory studies that can provide data to support investigator-initiated clinical trials. We provide input regarding experiments and budgets, as well as the hands-on expertise to carry your ideas from inception to FDA submission. We can also perform correlative studies to enhance the findings from clinical trials.

Please contact us to discuss your study. Download the sample request form.

View publications that include patient samples from the Division of Hematology Biorepository.

Hematology Drug Discovery Program

We screen small molecules that are in development in other indications within oncology for activity against acute myeloid leukemia. Molecules that have passed Phase I safety evaluation are screened against a panel of cell lines +/- stromal support and analyzed for apoptosis. Promising candidates are screened against a panel of primary samples from AML patients and are further evaluated by xenograft with SPECT/CT + PET/MRI. Molecules with in vivo activity will be evaluated by an investigator-initiated trial at Huntsman Cancer Institute.

All discussions and results are confidential and subject to CDA/NDA.

Email Tony Pomicter to collaborate

Flow Cytometry analysis graph between humans and mice

Flow cytometry analysis demonstrates engraftment of primary AML blasts into the bone marrow of a mouse.

18F-fluorothymidine PET imaging with CT and MRI demonstrates leukemia engraftment in the vertebrae (left) of a mouse, which is resolved after 14 days of treatment (right).

Inhibitor combination analysis in primary human CD34+ myelofibrosis cells demonstrates strong synergy (darker blue) at higher doses of Inhibitor 1 and lower doses of Inhibitor 2.

Apoptosis flow cytometry analysis of primary AML blasts demonstrates increasing activity of caspase 3 & 7 (color spectrum) with increasing DAPI-positivity (y-axis) but not Annexin V-positivity (x-axis).

A Sample of Current Projects

Correlating clinical outcomes and gene expression

Center members are working to identify subgroups of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL), using gene expression profiling in tumor samples. They will correlate the gene expression profiles with clinical characteristics and outcomes. Broader objectives include identifying appropriate treatments for the different types as new metabolic therapies become available.

Identifying genes for inherited susceptibility to multiple myeloma

Working from the unique resources of the Utah Population Database, the center looks for genes associated with a familial risk for multiple myeloma. Evidence suggests a familial predisposition for this disease, but the genes are still unknown. Finding them could potentially lead to earlier identification of the disease and perhaps new therapeutic approaches.

Investigating new treatment approaches for myelofibrosis

With support from a pharmaceutical company, the Division of Hematology Biorepository is evaluating novel combinations of small molecules that are hypothesized to induce apoptosis in myelofibrosis cells.