Title:	Prognostic factors and mechanisms of relapse of acute myeloid leukaemia
DNr:	NAISS 2026/4-139
Project Type:	NAISS Small
Principal Investigator:	Ahmed Waraky <Ahmed.waraky@gu.se>
Affiliation:	Göteborgs universitet
Duration:	2026-02-11 – 2027-03-01
Classification:	10610
Keywords:

Abstract

Despite advancements in the clinical management of pediatric acute myeloid leukemia (AML), approximately 30% of patients still face relapse. Measurable residual disease (MRD) assessment is a critical tool for detecting potential relapsed cells, yet existing techniques such as RT-PCR and multiparameter flow cytometry (MFC) face significant limitations. These include immunophenotypic shifts over time and high inter-patient heterogeneity, which often result in relapses in patients initially deemed MRD-negative. Furthermore, the lack of universal genetic targets complicates standardized monitoring. To address these challenges, this project utilizes high-dimensional single-cell analytical frameworks to perform integrated multi-omic profiling of surface proteins, chromatin accessibility, and gene expression within individual cells. By applying specialized molecular tracing of clonal lineages, we aim to characterize the evolution of leukemia stem cells (LSCs) from diagnosis to relapse. This approach seeks to identify subgroup-specific markers tailored to the unique biology of pediatric AML, ultimately improving the precision of MRD monitoring and enabling targeted treatment strategies to prevent relapse.