Goal

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common pediatric tumor. It originates from genetic lesions in hematopoietic progenitors in fetal life. These genetic lesions have been found, in screening studies, in ~10% of healthy newborns at birth. Environmental and nutritional genotoxicants have been postulated as a risk factor but without definitive evidence. On the other hand, we have evidence that maternal environment and lifestyle affect fetal development and epigenetics. In a recent randomized clinical trial (IMPACT BCN) we have shown that structured interventions in nutrition or maternal stress improve growth and regulation of fetal cortisol.

With the project “Impact of the environment and maternal lifestyle on susceptibility to fetal (pre)leukemic genetic lesions” we want to provide proof of concept on the association between maternal lifestyle and preleukemic genetic lesions in fetal hematopoietic cells and evaluate the feasibility of the clinical and laboratory methodologies necessary for the future development of prospective intervention studies

Inicio: June 1st 2021

End: December 31st 2024

“We propose a pioneering line with the hypothesis that interventions on the maternal lifestyle (nutrition, stress and toxic substances) modify the prevalence of prenatal preleukemic lesions”

Innovation & Impact

This project represents an essential feasibility study and proof of concept to determine the window of opportunity for a larger line of clinical intervention.

Team

Eduard Gratacós
Principal Investigator

Leticia Benítez
Researcher

Pablo Menéndez
PI Institut Carreras

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With the collaboration of

web obra social la caixa
web cerebra
Ministerio de economía web link
fondos feder web link
Web link ciberer
Red SAMID web link
Aguaur link web